WILLIAMSPORT -- This week Lycoming County Commissioners agreed to support the James V. Brown Library during its newest renovation project. The largest library in the county received a $40,000 grant to remodel its circulation room.
Thanks to support from the Lycoming County Commissioners, the library can now use the $40,000 Keystone Park and Recreation Fund -- a grant awarded through the Department of Education -- towards the $80,000 remodeling project to update the room.
The renovations include new seating. The people who work in this room want it to feel welcoming so people stay and use this space as the community center it already is. Changes also include removing a pole, adding new carpets, and creating a new centralized service desk.
"We have a ton of families coming through here," said Executive Director Barbara McGary. She wants every one of those families to feel welcome, and to do that, she says this room needs a re-write. "You can see that this pole right here is a bit of a barrier."
"There is two different service places to go for totally different reasons now you can go to any of these one desks and be served," she added."
The new desk will be lower too -- making it more accessible to folks in wheelchairs.
"There's a lot of disadvantage people too in the county and they can come here and everyone is equal when it comes to knowledge and books," said Mike Shulski of Williamsport. "We are all on the same page."
If it were up to Bella Splain, she'd probably be at the James V. Brown Library every single day.
"I have never been here one day where I haven't had a hand full of books," she said. "But I also like how a lot of people just cause what's the point of having so many books if there's no one to read them."
The 13-year-old bookworm said she's excited for the new changes.
"I like it because it will sort of make it feel like there is more room," she added.
The project is expected to begin this summer and be completed by the end of the year.