The McDonough library celebrated its recent renovations with a ribbon cutting on Thursday, January 9. The renovations included a complete overhaul of the interior, new HVAC system and roof replacement.
The McDonough library is located at 1001 Florence McGarity Blvd. It serves as the central branch and headquarters for the Henry County Library System. Visit the library system website to learn more about their upcoming events and branch locations.
McDonough Library Renovations Ribbon Cutting
The McDonough library began renovations in December 2023. The new interior space reopened in August 2024. The library waited until January to host the ribbon-cutting to first finish the HVAC and roof replacement projects.
Henry County Libraries received a Georgia capital outlay grant for the interior renovations. The grant, worth $900 thousand, was possible following a $100 thousand commitment in SPLOST V. The library system received an additional state grant for the HVAC upgrades. Henry County then covered the local match, as well as local funds for the roof replacement.
Renovation highlights include the following:
- New Flooring and Paint: Fresh updates throughout the library, providing a bright and welcoming environment.
- Additional Study Room: More space for quiet study, meetings, and collaborative work.
- Gary Barham Community Studio: A collaborative space for library programs and community use. Perfect for art, STEM, and maker space activities. Seats 12 with tables, or 20 without tables.
- Lactation Room: A private and comfortable space for nursing mothers.
- Expanded Young Adult Section: A larger, more engaging area for our teen patrons, complete with new resources and seating.
- Updated Rotunda: Enhanced lighting and modern furnishings to create a more inviting central welcoming space.
In addition, the renovations include a state-of-the-art memory lab. The memory lab contains equipment community members can use to digitize family records such as slides, photo negatives, VHS tapes, audiocassettes and vinyl records. The McDonough Woman’s Club funded the lab to help preserve family records and local history.
”This community loves their library”
Henry County Library Director Kathy Pillatzki shared an overview of the renovations. She thanked the many community stakeholders and project partners who made the work possible. “This community loves their library,” she remarked. The McDonough library sees over 50,000 visitors annually.
Pillatzki also spoke about the continued number of library visitors despite the McDonough location being closed during renovations. During the eight-month closure, patrons could pick-up items from the adjacent admin office. Residents checked out over 30,000 items from the temporary location. Total library visits in Henry County were down only 3% in fiscal year 2024 thanks to patrons visiting the other branches.
Attendees received a refrigerator magnet as a keepsake from the event. The magnet, pictured in the main photo above, shares the history of the McDonough library. The handwriting is from staff members who worked at each location over the years.
Photos
The Henry County Library Board, McDonough Library staff, state and county elected officials were all on-hand for the occasion. The Barham family also attended for the dedication of the Gary Barham Community Studio. The community studio honors the late commissioner’s role in committing SPLOST funding for the project.
Below are various photos of the new library.
