They have also made the hole where the library's new freight elevator will be installed. Holes, holes, everywhere...

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They are preparing for the mezzanine extension, which has turned out to be perhaps the most difficult piece of this project, both from a bureaucratic standpoint, as well as from an engineering one.

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They have also been working feverishly in the library entrance area, to shore up the ceilings and walls.

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A close-up of the tiles.

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Over the weekend, the workers laid down the new "gres" tiles in the library basement, in preparation for the arrival of the compact shelving. This was a key piece of the library construction puzzle, and a sign that things are moving ahead on schedule.

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Alas, any hopes the staff had of getting a swimming pool were dashed this Monday morning, as they arrived to find the garden hole was no more.

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It's a dirty job.

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Kind of nasty.

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Literally piles of clay (or wet soil), due to the water that is in the ground under the building.

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But we didn't expect THIS to come out of the underground!

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The well-digger has been working overtime.

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The most interesting work that is going on right now is related to the library mezzanine extension. They have had to dig holes into the library basement to prepare the foundations for the columns that will support the extension.

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Looks good.

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The area for the compact shelving is almost ready, they just have to lay the floors down, which will start Monday.

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The library basement is beginning to look finished (view from the stairs)...

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Work around the building continues at a sustained pace. Everywhere one turns, one finds a new work crew, tearing something out, putting something in...

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Some have suggested we fill "the hole" with water and make a little lap pool. Hmmm.

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Here is a close-up.

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The hole in our front yard has gotten a whole lot bigger. As I explained earlier, it is the chamber where the gas-based fire extinguishing system for the library basement will be based (full of gas tanks). Once they started digging, they noticed that the garden sat on top of a bed of hardcore cement. Having to pull in the heavy equipment to make the hole, we decided to make it a big one, so we have a bit of extra space down there. They are now laying the cement for the walls (see above picture).

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Now, that's one heck of a drill-bit!

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This awesome looking machine is drilling holes into the basement for the columns that will support the mezzanine extension. See above picture for the view from below.

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Same room as below, different view.

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This is the area on the left of the library basement, as you come down the stairs, where all of the reference book stacks used to be. The books have been moved to the other side and covered with plastic (see above), while they finish preparing this room for the compact shelving, which will arrive on 18 July.

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This is the same view as below, but from the opposite side (from the stairs).

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This is the view of library basement, those are the stairs towards the end. All of the walls in the basement are up now, and next week they will be doing the floors.

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