New Braunfels Public Library eyes expansion to accommodate growth

New Braunfels Public Library officials presented a long-term master plan to the City Council that recommended an estimated $35 million expansion to 33,000 square feet.

The plan projected the facility’s capacity and site needs for future bond program planning.

According to the master plan, the new space will allow the library to:

• Expand the meeting from seating 80 to seating 200 at a lecture style program. 
• Expand the children’s and teen area to include more collections, a dedicated story room, and a family place area. 
• Lower the adult collection shelving from 90 inches tall to 66 inches tall. 
• Increase adult seating including tables with power, an enclosed quiet reading room, and increased “garden” seating with a view of the site amenities. 
• Increased study and conference room capacity. 
• Improve the efficiency and functionality of the staff work areas. 

Short-term plans call for a reconfiguration of the current library space to provide a more efficient use for current programs and needs.

The library identified the teen area as one of the first components of the space reconfiguration. Other components will be addressed as funding becomes available through the city, the New Braunfels Public Library Foundation, or the library’s various trust funds.

This story originally published by Strategic Partnerships.