News · Royal Oak
Royal Oak Public Library is closed Friday through Monday for a new boiler, and its book drops will be locked until Nov. 3
ROYAL OAK — The Royal Oak Public Library will be closed Friday, Oct. 30, through Monday, Nov. 2, while crews install a new boiler, the library said.
It reopens Tuesday, Nov. 3.
The book drops will be locked during the closure, since no staff will be in the building to empty them. Anything due while the library is closed can be brought back when it reopens, and the library does not charge late fees.
This is the second closure the library has needed for a full replacement of its heating, ventilation and air conditioning system, The Oakland Press reported.
“We would like to thank you again for your patience as we make these important energy-efficient upgrades. It is a massive undertaking that we know will be worth it,” Library Director Sandy Irwin said. “We hope this will be the last closure before the colder weather hits.”
The project costs $1.02 million and is paid for by the library millage Royal Oak voters approved in 2023.
The library expects the new system to cut its energy use by about 27% to 35% and its carbon dioxide emissions by about 120 to 160 metric tons a year.
It is the second energy project at the library this year. Solar panels went on the roof earlier in 2026 and are expected to save about $28,000 a year, and the library plans to add a display later this year showing how much power they produce in real time. The city also recently won a $100,000 grant for solar panels at the Jack and Patti Salter Community Center.
Sources:
The Oakland Press, “Royal Oak library will be closed this weekend for equipment replacement,” Oct. 26, 2026 (closure dates, locked returns, no late fees, Irwin quote, $1.02 million, 2023 millage, energy and emissions estimates, solar savings, Salter Center grant), https://www.theoaklandpress.com/2026/10/26/royal-oak-library-will-be-closed-this-weekend-for-equipment-replacement/
Photo: Myotus, “Library book return outside of Carlton City Hall.jpg,” Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0, cropped, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Library_book_return_outside_of_Carlton_City_Hall.jpg
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