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Columbus Library to Shut Down for the Summer

By Mathew Katz | May 22, 2013 7:53am
 The Columbus Library will be closed until September.
The Columbus Library will be closed until September.
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DNAinfo/Mathew Katz

HELL'S KITCHEN — Hell's Kitchen's only library will shut down for the summer, leaving residents with a hike to get to books and programs.

The Columbus Library at 742 Ninth Ave. will temporarily close on June 3 so that upgrades can be made to its heating and cooling systems, leaving users without a library until September.

Nora Lyons, a spokeswoman for the New York Public Library, said that the shutdown was the most efficient way to get the construction done as quickly as possible.

"Nobody wants to be sitting in a really hot library while the cooling system is being upgraded over the summer," she said.

Opened in 1909, the Columbus Library hosts a variety of programs for locals, including computer classes, movies, teen groups and a story time for kids. While the programs won't be moved over to the other locations, Lyons said those branches would offer similar programs for all ages.

While the $800,000 renovation is going on, the library is encouraging locals to head to either the Riverside Library at 127 Amsterdam Ave. or the 58th Street Library at 127 E. 58th St.

Any holds on books at the Columbus Library will be delivered to the 58th Street location. While many of the books at the branch will move to other locations, some will remain onsite.