“Everything planned with the renovation is about improving our community’s access and experience at the library,” said Greene County Public Library Executive Director Karl Colón. “It’s exciting to share what the new building will look like but it’s truly inspiring to know how much impact these improvements will make for our patrons in Xenia and across Greene County.”
The new children’s section improves safety and includes an expanded outside section on the Market Street side, which will be used for programming and playtime.
The renovated maker space, formerly two spaces on the second floor, will be expanded and moved to the ground floor, with “stretch space” for programming, library officials said.
Since the renovation’s start in February, Xenia library programs have continued at the REACH Center on Progress Drive, and book circulation has remained available on Market Street with limited interruption to library access and Spark Place, he said.
Xenia will open a “mini library” in July, which will library services such as Spark Place, a browsing section, computers, printing services, and more.
“We knew our community needed and expected non-stop library services throughout the renovation,” said Colón. “Libraries are built for access, and, thanks to the great work of our team, we made sure that the best services remain available throughout this renovation.”
“We realize how much this will benefit patrons in the long term but have not lost sight of how it affects them in the short term,” he said.
The full construction project is estimated to take 20 months, and the library is scheduled to reopen in January of 2025.
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