After a three-week hiatus for repairs, the Lehighton Area Memorial Library is back and better than ever.

The library reopened Monday with new hours for the school year after having been closed since Sept. 10 for carpeting and work to the existing building.

Since then, repairs were done, new carpeting was installed throughout the whole building, and blinds have been added, said Melissa Hawk, library director.

“We did some repairs to the floor, got new carpeting throughout the whole building,” said library director Melissa Hawk. “We added a new seating area so that it’s a more comfortable place for everybody.”

Hawk said the work was made possible courtesy of $21,000 the library received with assistance from the Carbon County and Economic Development Corporation from the Commonwealth Financing Authority.

“A lot of people really like the seating area,” she said. “The people have been very happy with the new look.”

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Tara Schoenberger of Lehighton for one is glad the library is back and open for business.

“I come in and rent books,” Schoenberger said. “I like the Christian books, mostly.”

Kimberly Kirkpatrick of Lehighton was also glad to be back in familiar territory.

“I love the library,” Kirkpatrick said. “I do a lot of history stuff, anything to do with cars.”

Despite being closed for three weeks, Hawk said the library hasn’t skipped a beat.

“It went really smoothly,” she said. “We didn’t have any problems.”

Regardless, Hawk said it’s good that the library is back up and running.

“I’m glad to be back open, because we were really missed,” she said. “We’re really busy.”

Hawk said the library plans to utilize a Keystone Grant it received in the amount of $169,699 toward a building addition.

The grant will be used for the construction project which includes the 1,433-square-foot addition for youth services, community room and two ADA restrooms.

Hawk said the addition will give the library many more options as far as programs are concerned, more space for the programs, and make it easier for people to come and spend time at the library.

She said it will also allow the library to move all of the children’s items into another area; give the library more room in the current area for adults to stay and be able to read; and the community room will give them a private place to meet.

Hawk said the library will also be open to community groups so that they also have another option of where to meet in the community.

She noted that because it’s a matching grant, the library will have to contribute about $170,000 to help meet the $340,000 project cost.

Hawk said the library has money that people have given over the years, and added the library planned to launch a capital campaign to cover extra costs such as furnishings.

Twenty-seven public libraries in 18 counties were awarded $6.8 million in Keystone Grants to use toward improving physical facilities.

The Lehighton Area Memorial Library library is now open from 4-7 p.m. on Mondays, 1-7 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesdays and Fridays, and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays.

For more information, visit www.lehightonlibrary.com.