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Dade County Library Manager Gayla Brewer gestured at the room cluttered with tables of elderly books. “I want this all cleared up,” she said. “I need this

$2 a pop for most ........That’s any size ...for a fiver, any day....Ms. Brewer means business.

What’s the hurry? Well, for one thing, the library is preparing for its regular.....but Ms. Brewer says that for the next couple, SPLOST (special project local option sales tax) funds are in place to buy $5,000 worth........

Georgia libraries begin new chapter
Sunday, June 13, 2010
By Timothy Bradfield
Remodeling of the Georgia public libraries in LaFayette and Trenton has entered the first phases.

The LaFayette-Walker County Library project will expand that building by 7,000 square feet to 27,000 square feet, library officials say. The Dade County Library in Trenton will expand from 8,000 square feet to 12,000.

Both libraries are part of the Cherokee Regional Library System.

Library officials say the design in LaFayette includes moving the entrance from its westerly direction to face north toward LaFayette City Hall. The plan also expands the building in the rear, where parking will be located.

"It'll be more user friendly, more modern, more comfortable, more relaxing," LaFayette library branch manager Tim York said.

The budget in LaFayette is $4 million, according to library officials. Half of that is generated by a special purpose local option sales tax, with $500,000 coming from the city of LaFayette and $1.5 million from Walker County. The remaining $2 million is a match from the state of Georgia.

"Library goers and their children and their families, they're very, very passionate about keeping the library going," Walker County Commissioner Bebe Heiskell said.

The LaFayette library, which was built in 1969 and has undergone a renovation since then, has several issues including a chronically leaky roof, officials said.

And they say there are multiple proactive reasons for the expansion.

"Technology is the first thing that comes to mind," Cherokee Regional Library Director Lecia Eubanks said. "We just do not have our library laid out in a way that's conducive to all the technology that we need to support the community's demand."

The library has 10 public-access computers and that number needs to triple, Mrs. Eubanks said. There's also a need for a computer training lab, she said.

Construction of the LaFayette library is set to get under way next spring, officials say. Shortly before then, it will be relocated to a temporary home for the year-long process.

Mrs. Eubanks said she hasn't started making inquiries about a location yet, but has her eyes on the former CVS Pharmacy building and the buildings that used to house Food Lion and Goody's.

She's also looking for a place for the Trenton library when its nine-month renovation begins in October. That $900,000 project is funded primarily by money from the state, with the remainder coming from Dade County, a federal grant and the city of Trenton, officials said.

"We're in the center of town. And this just is a very happening place," Trenton Library branch manager Gayla Brewer said. "We need to keep up with the standard for the population. And this library needs to grow."

Timothy Bradfield is based in Walker County. Contact him at timothyb2010@gmail.com.