OKEMOS - With the Hope Borbas Okemos Library renovation being ahead of schedule, those involved say the library could be opened before the predicted date.

According to Cecelia Kramer, President of the Friends of the Okemos Library, on January 2nd, the library is expecting, "just a soft opening, we'll just open the doors to just see and make sure everything works. As we get down through the month, there may be adjustments or changes that need to be made and then our grand opening will be toward the end of January."

The library will have new restrooms, updated wiring and technology, a separate quiet reading room, a west main entrance, more open space, a new world languages area, an enlarged young adult area, a larger children's area, and additional updated utilities.

"The main portion of construction is done, but there still remains quite a bit of details," Kramer added.

Those involved with the project are currently in the process of organizing and cleaning dust off of the books.

The largest donors that contributed to this project are Meridian Township, Friends of the Okemos Library, and the Capital Area District Library.

The following people, businesses and organizations will have rooms in the library named after them:

Ritta Rosenberg - Community Room

Haslett and Okemos Rotary - Adult Reading Room

Delta Dental - The Children's Area

Howard and Kay Weyers - In memory of Kay Weyers - The Young Adult Area

The Ochberg Family - The International Languages Area

Elizabeth LeGoff - In memory of Eugene LeGoff, Ph.D.- The Computer Area