TEMPORARY SERVICE OFFERED AT ILLINOIS VALLEY SENIOR CENTER ON THURSDAYS

The Illinois Valley branch of Josephine Community Library, 209 West Palmer Street, Cave Junction, will close for renovation beginning Sunday, March 3. The last day of service before closure will be Saturday, March 2.

During the Illinois Valley branch closure, temporary library services will be available at the Illinois Valley Senior Center, 520 E River Street. Services will include:

• A book drop open Monday–Friday from 9:30 am–4 pm
• Item pick-up service Thursdays from 9:30 am–4 pm

To take advantage of the weekly pick-up service, patrons can use their library card account to place requests on books and other items through the online catalog at josephinelibrary.org. Patrons are asked to wait until they receive a notification from the library when requested items are ready for pick up at the Illinois Valley Senior Center.

Illinois Valley community members may visit other library branches in Grants Pass, Williams, and Wolf Creek during the temporary closure to checkout items, attend programs, and use computers and WiFi. Useful items including laptops, WiFi hotspots, and more can be checked out using a library card from any branch. Online library services such as e-books, audio books, language and learning tools are also available with a library card. Visit josephinelibrary.org to learn more about online materials.

For technical assistance, patrons can continue to call the Illinois Valley branch at 541-592-4778 as calls will be forwarded to staff. The main branch in Grants Pass can be reached at 541-476-0571.

The renovated space will include a meeting space with a maximum capacity of 80 people with a teaching kitchen and dedicated ADA restroom, an early learning center, outdoor space for programs, and more. The Illinois Valley branch is expected to reopen to the public mid-to-late fall 2024.

In partnership with the library district, the City of Cave Junction was awarded a $1.5 million Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) to help fund the renovation of the Illinois Valley branch.  The Oregon State Legislature via Rep. Lily Morgan contributed $900,000 for this project as part of the Local Community Investments program using funding from the 2021 American Rescue Plan. In August of 2021, the library foundation launched a crowdfund to raise the additional funds needed to support the renovation.