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The Grand Coulee Library closed this week for a lighting upgrade and is expected to re-open in early April, according to the branch’s website.

It has been a long-time need, according to library staff, and several boosters of the local branch, who described the old lighting using words like “flickering,” “buzzing,” “humming” and “dim.”

The upgrade is intended to make the branch a more pleasant place to visit and work, and will make it more energy efficient, according to Amanda Brack, communications and engagement manager for North Central Washington Libraries. The fluorescent light bulbs are being replaced by LED bulbs with wireless controls.

“We anticipate receiving an energy efficient rebate from the PUD,” Brack said in an email to The Star. “Any rebates received will go towards additional interior improvements at the Grand Coulee Library.”

The library building is owned by the city of Grand Coulee, but the tenant — NCW Libraries — will pay for the upgrade. Budget for the improvements comes from the NCWL’s Reimagining Spaces Project, a multiyear initiative approved by library trustees in 2019.

Reimagining Spaces will eventually mean a re-design of 29 of the region’s libraries over multiple years, including the Grand Coulee branch. The full Grand Coulee Library redesign will come in 2025, following a community engagement process, Brack said. The total project investment is slated at over $10 million across the entire system.

The branch may be reached during the closure by calling (509) 633-0972 or emailing grandcoulee@ncwlibraries.org