The newly renovated Brentwood Library will be open to the public soon. And Springfield-Greene County Library staff and donors got a sneak peak at the facility over the weekend.
During a ceremony Saturday, a 12-foot enclosed book tower showing how much money has been raised was topped off to recognize a $15,000 pledge by Guaranty Bank. That donation pushed the ReNew Brentwood Capital Campaign over its $2.5 million goal.
Valerie Richardson, the Library Foundation’s director, says she’s “thrilled” with how well the campaign has gone.
"It's just kind of an amazing thing to see so many people who love the libraries enough to support a project like this," she said.
Some unique fundraising events were held to raise money for the renovations. For example, Field Elementary second graders built and decorated a dog house that was raffled off, and eight-year-old Nora Miller ran a lemonade stand and donated the proceeds to the campaign.
The redesign includes a dedicated teen area, a much larger reference desk, enclosed study rooms, a new, more secure children’s area, a drive-up window, additional parking and energy efficient lighting, electrical and mechanical systems among other things. There's also a new reading area in a newly-added space.
"And it's going to be bathed with natural light, so I think people will really enjoy the feeling of sitting in there and reading," said Richardson.
The library district will host a public grand opening at 10 a.m. on January 7 for the Schweitzer Brentwood Branch. It was renamed in honor of Jewell Schweitzer who donated $1.2 million to the campaign
