[ May 16, 2021 ] The Pickens County Library in Jasper, located at 100 Library Lane, has released the first visual of construction plans for the upcoming renovation and expansion of its facilities projected to begin in June. Beginning May 17, the library will close to the public to prepare for the project, which is scheduled to last approximately 10-12 months. After the library closes, a temporary, limited-service library location called ?Pickens Grab & Go? will be available inside the Mountain Education Charter High School building, located at 339 West Church Street. The Grab & Go location is anticipated to open to the public in early June.

Construction includes a renovation of the Pickens County Library, built in 1996, and the addition of 8,200 square feet to the building. ?The expansions will be added to the back of the library, so the exterior changes to the current building will be minimal,? says Anita Summers, Executive Director of Sequoyah Regional Library System. ?Once construction is completed, the front of the library building will look the same.? With an expanded and renovated library facility, the Pickens community will have more space for books and technology; larger areas for programs, meetings, collaboration, and creation; and additional seating for study and quiet reading.

Pickens residents can frequently check for updates and view answers to common questions about the construction by visiting www.sequoyahregionallibrary.org/pcl-project. Any materials that are checked out from the Pickens County Library will have an extended due date of June 28. Library patrons are encouraged to hold onto their borrowed items until service begins at the Pickens Grab & Go location, or to return them to a neighboring library within the Sequoyah Regional Library System. Pickens residents may use their Pickens County Library card at any neighboring location within SRLS, which includes libraries in Cherokee and Gilmer County.

Partial funding of $1,800,000 for the construction project is available from Pickens County?s SPLOST program. To fund the remaining portion, the Sequoyah Regional Library System (SRLS) applied to the State for a $2,000,000 Capital Outlay Grant, administered by the Georgia Public Library Service. These grants are funded by the sale of bonds and must be approved by the state legislature. The Capital Outlay Grant for the Pickens County Library?s renovation and expansion was approved for the fiscal year of 2021.

LARGER VIEW OF RENOVATION PLAN