The main floor of the Maury County Library in Columbia is open again. About 200 people turned out for the ribbon cutting on Friday, Oct. 30, a little over a year after the building at 211 West 8th Street closed for renovations.
This was a bigger job than fresh paint. The library was built in 1968 for about $300,000, and its last renovation was in 1994, when the Children’s Library went into the basement.
What’s new on the main floor
- A teen center
- Individual study rooms
- A new classroom
- A demonstration kitchen
- Two small-group areas
- Technology for telehealth appointments
What the new space is for
The new rooms are meant to be used for more than checking out books. Plans include healthy-eating classes in the kitchen, career exploration and interviewing workshops, workplace skills training, and GED prep in the classroom. A telehealth portal will let people see a doctor from the library.
We haven’t seen a class schedule yet. We’ll list those classes on our events calendar as dates are announced.
Who paid for it
The county put in $220,000 and received a $2 million Connected Community Facilities grant from the state Department of Economic and Community Development. Bauer & Askew Architects designed the interior and Drakes Street Construction Company did the work.
If you’re going
The county lists these hours for the Columbia branch: Monday through Wednesday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., Thursday through Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., closed Sunday. That page doesn’t mention the reopening, so call 931-375-6502 to confirm before you make a special trip.
Sources: Main Street Maury, Maury County.
Photo: Downtown Columbia by Hmil6, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
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