After temporarily closing on Feb. 1 to start a year-long renovation project, Penrose Library in downtown Colorado Springs will reopen to the public on April 10.

“We said it would take a couple of months for this first phase, which represents the beginning of the renovations we plan to do, and it’s right on schedule,” said Denise Abbott, chief communications officer for the Pikes Peak Library District.

Work is progressing to refurbish the interior with a more contemporary look and feel and add several new safety and security features, she said.

By chance, the reopening of the community’s oldest flagship library will coincide with the annual National Library Week, this year being observed April 8-13. The theme: “Ready, Set, Library!”

In honor, Pikes Peak Library District will hold public open houses at eight of its 15 branches that week.

“We’d already planned to do the open houses, and then my department learned about the closure of Penrose and its reopening about the same time as the open houses, so it just fell into place and worked out,” Abbott said.

Open houses will be held at Cheyenne Mountain, East, Fountain, High Prairie, Monument, Penrose, Sand Creek and Library 21c branches. Events will be unique to each location and offer different activities, entertainment, performers, tours, refreshments and prize drawings.

“The open houses are to allow people to come into the library and just take a tour,” Abbott said.

“We all know people can access their library and get all the resources we have available, but people don’t often take the time to wander,” she said. “This is more than people knowing they can always go to their library to get something for free, this is a celebration and a way to showcase what we’re all about.”

The locations will have Makerspaces open, activities in children’s areas, a scavenger hunt and prizes.

The grand reopening of Penrose Library, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. April 10 at 20 N. Cascade Ave., also will serve as its open house.

Staff will be on hand to talk about what libraries provide, including various classes from computer literacy to yoga; community spaces that can be reserved; audio and video studios; services such as printers, computers, laser engravers and 3-D printers; checkouts for movies, music, games, audio books, e-books, Chromebooks and children’s toys; homeschooling and early childhood development resources; and specialty items such as historical and legal materials.

New users can sign up for a library card during the open houses, which is needed to check out or reserve materials.

“We want the entire community to know the library is here for them,” Chief Librarian and CEO Teona Shainidze-Krebs said in a statement. “Everyone is welcome, and we hope they can find something special at the library that will help them thrive.”