Lawson McGhee Library will remain open throughout a $200,000 renovation expected to last several months. The goal of the project is to create an appealing, user-friendly space that meets the needs of 21st-century library patrons.
Work shifted to the main floor this week, causing some rearrangement of offices, but normal library operations are continuing, according to a press release from the county mayor’s office. Shelton General Contractors began Dec. 3 to update the top three stories of the library, 500 W. Church Ave.
There will be major changes. The periodicals section will be relocated from the third floor to the first floor, and the third-floor space will be converted to a classroom/meeting area. The second-floor computer lab will be moved to the first floor, while its former space will house a “memory lab” that includes photo- and document-scanning stations and an exhibit area.
Renovations will include a new reference desk and a new circulation desk. Additional amenities will include private consulting rooms for individual and small-group use, a consolidated public computer section, and increased space for business reference services and the Books for the Homebound program.
“We are looking forward to this renovation,” Myretta Black, director of the Knox County Public Library, said in the press release. “The newly rearranged service areas will be a vast improvement for our patrons and staff. With many collections shifting to online resources, we are able to take advantage of some space that will better serve the public.”