umford Public Library Circulation Supervisor Abby Austin, left, library assistant Serena Theriault and trustee Chairperson Jerry Cohen stand Thursday in the new Nonfiction Room of the library at 56 Rumford Ave. The library reopened recently after replacing asbestos floor tiles on the main floor and basement. Bruce Farrin/Rumford Falls Times

RUMFORD — The Rumford Public Library is welcoming its new director, Amanda Mesas, of North Carolina.

Trustee Chairpersons Jerry Cohen said a formal reception will probably be combined with the annual Christmas party next month.

Mesas was chosen after an 18-month search.

The library is welcoming patrons five months after closing to replace asbestos floor tiles on the main floor and the basement. Cohen said Thursday that all new shelves were moved to create wider aisles for easier wheelchair access. The shelves probably hadn’t been moved in about a century, he said. “Maybe 1903 when we opened!”

The closure gave employees and volunteers a chance to paint some walls and “rearrange our cabinetry so that we have more room back here with the computer station for people who need use them.”

“They’ve all been unbelievable…We’re just happy to be open, and almost where we need to be fully opened and fully staffed!” Cohen said.

The library staff includes Curriculum Librarian Mary Ann Fournier, Children’s Librarian Samantha Conwell, and part-time staff members, Circulation Supervisor Abby Austin, library assistant Serena Theriault and her son, CJ “Tank” Theriault.

The Children’s Room, Nonfiction Room and Maine Collection will be open soon.

The children’s library desk was moved between the pre-teen section and the toddlers area.

Cohen said they are also putting in a nook corner for autistic children, thanks to grants received from Franklin Savings and Bangor Savings banks. Conwell, who has an autistic child, applied for the grants.

“She’s setting up a nook … with special items throughout just for autistic children to touch, feel and put on headphones to block out the noise,” Cohen said.

He said he believes it may be the first of its kind in the region and possibly in Maine.

Services for making copies, printing documents, sending faxes or allowing patrons to use public computers will resume.

Updates on the work and programs can be found on the Rumford Public Library’s Facebook page.

The library also is supported by a grant from Friends of the River Valley, which sponsors all children’s programs.

Library hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday.