The Lexington Public Library recently broke ground on the Marksbury Family Branch — a new $17-million, 30,000-sqft library located 2185 Versailles Rd. that will take the place of the former Village Branch.
Let’s take a look at this new development + focus on how you’ll be able to utilize this new learning resource once it’s completed in 2024.
The new two-story library will nearly triple the amount of space available for library services including:
- Community and study rooms
- Dedicated classrooms
- A makerspace
- An outdoor reading area
- Expanded adult and children’s areas
- A drive-thru window for pick-ups and returns
Pro tip: The community rooms will be available after hours for meetings. Citizens can reserve a key card to access the space even when the library is closed — think neighborhood association meetings, book clubs + small group work sessions for entrepreneurs.
Throughout the planning phase, the Lexington Public Library sought out public input in order to make this branch the most serviceable for community members.
“In 2018, we conducted a survey for our Master Plan and 95% of participants agreed that the Village Branch was the library that needed the revamp first,” said Paige Smith, Development Manager at the Lexington Public Library.
With the additional space, and with the public’s opinion in mind, the library is designing the building to be a multi-functional community classroom + an educational resource for all Lexingtonians.
“The space is going to be so versatile + flexible that the possibilities are endless. We could host World Cup Screenings or indoor art shows,” said Paige. “We hope it will draw in new patrons from across the city.”
Prior to this new development, the Village Branch was always the little library that could — consistently punching above its weight class in terms of community events. And now, it’s being given the tools to be a knockout community resource.