SAN ANGELO, Texas (Concho Valley Homepage) — The north branch of Tom Green County’s library system celebrated its soft reopening on Friday, Oct. 13, after being closed for just over a year.
The library closed in the summer of 2022 to begin work on renovating the roughly 48-year-old building. In a statement on the Tom Green County library system’s website, the renovations were set to meet the several goals listed below:
- Enlarge physical area by approximately 1200 square feet
- Expand computer and mobile access
- Increase seating and charging ports
- Create a multi-purpose area serving as a story room, laptop lab and study room
- Bring the building into ADA compliance in key areas, like the restrooms
- Maximize floor space for patron usage while maintaining a pleasant, user-friendly atmosphere
- Improve signage inside and out
- Make improvements to the entire space: replace old furniture and shelving, update the layout
- Minimize noise by shifting the bookdrop to a workroom and creating a place for staff to take phone calls
The library asked for donations from the public to help fund the project. The building, which sits at the corner of North Chadbourne Street and 30th Street, has been in the San Angelo community since 1975 and serves as “a vital point-of-access for the Lake View and Grape Creek communities” through its services, according to the Tom Green County library system.
Representatives of the library claimed that the updates made to the building were long overdue.
“We have a completely new facility, it’s been completely transformed,” librarian Chelsea Preas said. “It’s a million-dollar library now.”
The library has scheduled its official grand reopening for Saturday, Oct. 28. Attendees are encouraged to dress up as their favorite storybook character to celebrate the occasion.
