Published: November 09, 2009 11:08 pm      

Library grand opening today

Lawrence facility gets rave reviews

Louisa — Bookworms and computer nerds alike will appreciate the new Lawrence County Public Library, which will have its grand opening today.

An expanded book collection and more computers are among the attractions of the library at 102 W. Main St. in downtown Louisa.

The new library, on the same site as the original, is packing in the patrons, said director Mary McGuire. During one 31/2-day stretch she logged 723 visitors. “We’re seeing people we’ve never seen before,” she said.

The 12,600-square-foot library opened for use in late October. The building site has been home to the county’s library since the 1960s, when the institution moved into the former home of the late Supreme Court Chief Justice Fred M. Vinson. The library building constructed on the site was to have been renovated but proved unsuitable for repair and was demolished, McGuire said.

The new building houses about 800 more books, more computers and an expanded genealogy room.

From five desktop and four laptop computers the library has expanded its holdings to 42 machines, she said.

The expansion means patrons won’t have to wait to get on the computers and the one-hour time limit may be lifted.

More programs are in the works for children and adults. “We’re planning more family-oriented programs,” she said.

Since moving in from interim quarters, the library also has recorded quite a few new card holders. “It’s beyond imagination,” McGuire said.

The grand opening will be at 2 p.m. today.

MIKE JAMES can be reached at mjames@dailyindependent.com or (606) 326-2652.