The Bozeman Public Library on East Main opened its doors in 2006. Now it is set to undergo a major renovation starting on Sept. 30.
“It just keeps getting more and more modern, you know I remember card catalogs,” says Bozeman resident Krista Johnson.
Johnson has been a lover of the library since she was a kid. She’s seen a lot of change in the library since she started going to the Carnegie Library.
"I love living in a place that embraces a library. I mean this is one of the best libraries in the state I think,” says Johnson
Originally the library was expanding, but the high cost of construction shifted plans. Now the library is embarking on a renovation.
“We were not surprised because we watched other construction projects around the valley,” says Bozeman Public Library Director, Susan Gregory.
Now the library is kicking off a $5.6 million renovation, mostly funded through donations to the library. The big focus of the renovations is community space.
“As you come in the north entrance there are going to be what we call creative labs. The lab facing main street is going to be a kitchen demo,” says Gregory.
On the second floor, you’ll see a focus on technology with the two new labs being added.
“The second lab is going to be a technology lab and it also has a small recording studio,” says Gregory.
Some smaller details like rotating the bookshelves to embrace nature outside of the library.
“We’re changing the direction of the stacks for people to be able to look out and see the park,” says Gregory.
While the expansion didn’t take place this time around, an expansion at the current library or a new library isn’t off the table.
“Make sure that the library grows parallels to the growth of the community,” says Gregory.
The partial closures of the library on each floor will last a couple of months, while the whole project is expected to take about a year. The staff at the library asks residents for flexibility while construction is ongoing.
