(PUEBLO, Colo.) — Renovations for the Robert Hoag Rawlings Public Library, which started in August 2021 are wrapping up. Pueblo City-County Library District (PCCLD) is celebrating with a week of events starting Monday, March 20.

On March 20, the public can rediscover Rawlings Library with a self-guided tour; pick up a library passport and tour each floor, PCCLD said. When guests collect all the stamps they will get a gift card for PJ’s Coffee worth $5. The passports are valid until March 26.

Rawlings Library will have a series of events throughout the rest of the week:

• Tuesday, March 21 from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. will be an open house, get a free PJ’s Coffee small hot or iced drink.
• Wednesday, March 22 at 11 a.m. will be the Rawlings Library ribbon cutting, weather permitting.
• Thursday, March 23 at 1 p.m. will be the library cornerstone and time capsule ceremony outside weather permitting.
• Friday, March 24 at 6:30 p.m. is Pecha Kucha Night, featuring the Rawlings Library departments. Doors open at 6 p.m. and get a free PJ’s Coffee small hot or iced drink.

The renovations to the library branch began in August 2021. According to PCCLD the improvements to the library include:

• The first floor will include PJ’s Coffee, a dedicated makerspace, additional meeting rooms, a computer training facility, and a public café area. The revamped and expanded 1,200-square-foot Infozone Museum will take visitors on a tour through the history of communication.
• The second floor is a hub for all age groups, providing traditional library services such as books, movies, public-use computers as well as study and collaboration spaces. There are dedicated spaces for children, teens, and adults, throughout the 25,000-square-foot floor. A highlight of the second floor is the Sandy Graham Rawlings Youth Services Area, a vibrant, safe, imaginative, and playful place for kids and families to read and learn.
•  The third floor, the newly renamed Local History and Genealogy Department, expands the library’s acclaimed local history and archives as well as adding a digitization lab. An expanded more vibrant Hispanic Resource Center anchors the space.
•  The fourth floor is now home to the Ryals Grand Event Space, a 10,000-square-foot, 350-person capacity special event space with advanced theater capabilities, and a full-size catering kitchen.

“These re-invigorated public library spaces are inviting and comfortable. We want to thank all of our partners and community supporters who made this renovation project a reality and we warmly welcome people of all ages to the Robert Hoag Rawlings Public Library to enjoy the newly renovated facility,” Sherri Baca, PCCLD executive director said.