You’re planning on climbing the stairs to the Children’s Library and leaving the kids off at the summer reading program, but then you get no farther than the Idea Studio to the right of the sliding glass doors.  What is going on, a rhythmic beat is coming from the room?

Computers are against the wall. The 3-D copy machine is silent. Bodies are moving. It’s Zumba, the Latin inspired dance fitness workout that’s been transplanted from the Pilgrim Senior Center. Zumba and a lot more of the center programs will move to the library as the Pilgrim Senior Center closes during August for replacement of flooring tiles throughout most of the building that opened 34 years ago. In addition to the library some programs some programs such as the driver education course, will be relocated to the Saw Tooth Building in Apponaug and the Cooper Building the former Army Reserve armory on Sandy Lane.

The plan is for all of the programs to return to the center once the new flooring is in place after the Labor Day holiday.

Center Program Director Kathleen Bohl, is prepared for the move. She’s created posters listing where to find temporary homes for programs with diagrams to find various rooms in the library, earning her the suggestion from some seniors that she should be an engineer. All the details including the times and days for programs are also spelled out in the center newsletter that can be found on the city website.

“We’re excited to continue to offer programs,” she said adding that the library isn’t all that far away – 2.5 miles. Center director Meg Underwood and the staff considered various options when informed of the work to be done.  Top on the list was finding spaces large enough to accommodate exercise classes of up to 50 that are accessible. They looked at school gyms that wouldn’t be used during school vacation but ruled them out because of the lack of air conditioning.

Then they landed on the library and went no farther after meeting with library director Aaron Coutu. Bohl said he made it easy to find spaces and a temporary home. 

The center has a large following that flocculates with the seasons and program offerings.  Last week, 290 unduplicated people [not counting people who visit the center more than one in a week] visited the center.  There’s a wide range of activities from card playing groups to yoga and fitness programs. The center also coordinates a variety of services from transportation to medical appointments and shopping to meals. Transwick services will not be interrupted by closure of the center. Also, Bohl explained, the center kitchen will continue to operate for the preparation of “grab and go” meals that were implemented during the pandemic. The meals will be distributed at the library and delivered to homebound center members.

The administrative staff will also continue to operate out of the center during the renovations as best it can. Bohl said office and other furniture would be moved to the large meeting room, which won’t get new flooring starting at the south end of the building.  Staff would then work from rooms in the north end of the center until the flooring crew moves. In the event they need to completely move out, Bohl said the staff would temporarily operate from basement offices in City Hall formally occupied by the finance department. On Tuesday Library Director Aaron Coutu said they may be able to find space at the library, too.

Finding space for the center programs came together serendipitously.

Coutu said the need to close the senior center came up at a department meeting and impulsively he thought the library might be able to accommodate some of the programs.

“It was one of those things that popped up,” he said.

“It really worked out pretty well,” he said describing how the library’s summer reading program starts winding down in mid-August and many groups that regularly use the library take the month off.  As to how it will all come together, Coutu said he’s got his fingers crossed. He pointed out center staff plan to be positioned in the library concourse to direct seniors to program rooms. Some program regulars such those taking ceramics have elected to take the month off.  Moving the kiln would have been a challenge and as Bohl said many felt more comfortable leaving their works at the center than attempting to move them.

Coutu sees both the library and the center as benefiting from the experience.

“It could be a springboard to further our partnership,” he said.

M. Frank Higgins & Co. of Berlin, CT will perform the flooring work under a $104,965 contract awarded earlier this year.