Students from the nearby Redwood Middle School have tended to take a route right across the orchard to walk into the library ever since it reopened. That means a lot of dirt on the floors of the library.

On some days, it's even worse. Kids from the school will track in mud from the orchard. Sometimes they try to wash their shoes at the water fountain or the restroom sinks, leading to a bigger mess. Notices asking patrons not to wash their feet in the sink have been in place for a few months now.

"When irrigation is going on at the orchard, it gets very, very muddy," said librarian Dolly Barnes. "Janitors have had to clean up the library multiple times in the course of a single day when that happens."

The library commission has been talking about the problem in its last few meetings. The issue was also brought up before the city council on July 7. In the meeting, it was decided that some city and library staff, two members from the library commission and one member from the city council would come together to form a committee to solve the problem. The heritage preservation commission will also send two members.

The new committee is expected to meet once or more during the summer so that its members can make a recommendation to the city council. Some early suggestions include an asphalt path through the orchard or distributing mulch over the path used now. But both would change operations in some ways.

Barnes said the problem had existed at the old library, too, but once the new library opened, the problem became much worse. Barnes said that the front door was in a different area of the building before. Once the new building was constructed, it became more convenient for the children to use the orchard instead of the sidewalk.

"I guess playing in the mud is also a warm-weather fun thing," said Barnes.

"We have met with the principal of Redwood Middle School, and they are willing to talk to the kids to sort things out," said Barnes. "We are trying to work out a natural route by the fall."