FLORENCE, Ky. — During our conversation with Florence residents during Tuesday's "Let's Talk" event, multiple residents brought up the host of the event — the Florence branch of the Boone County Public Library.
Built in the 1970s, residents said they are ready for an upgrade.
We caught up with Florence Mayor Julie Aubuchon to talk about future upgrades, who noted the current library is not big enough.
"They just can't keep up with the volume of what they need to do," Aubuchon said.
She also agreed that the exterior of the building could use a refresh.
"The outside of the building looked like it was built in the energy crisis," Aubuchon said. "Very little windows."
Hear when potential upgrades are coming to the library in Florence in the video below:
In 2017, the city purchased land near the library with the goal of building a new one on that property. However, Aubuchon said they've been waiting on the Boone County Public Library Board to move forward with changes.
The board unveiled its plan to upgrade each branch in 2020, which included potentially renovating the interior and expanding the Florence branch. But after five years, those upgrades still haven't come.
"We've been patient, but some of our residents are losing patience," Aubuchon said.
We spoke to Boone County Library Director Carrie Herrmann over the phone on Thursday.
She said the board started with upgrades to the Walton branch first, which opened its new library last year. Herrmann said the decision was made after a third-party consultant suggested how the board should plan out changes to each branch.
Aubuchon said she feels the Florence branch should have been worked on first.
"We did think that it was a misstep that Walton was developed first, I'll be real honest about that," Aubuchon said. "But, now that Walton is up and running and functional, we look to them to say that 'OK, Florence's turn is now.'"
The good news for Florence residents is that plans for upgrades to the Florence branch are in motion.
Herrmann said the board is hoping to hire an architect as early as January. Whoever they hire will offer recommendations on how the board should pursue potential changes.
"That's what the architect is going to look at — can they renovate this and add on, or should they build on this site?" Aubuchon said.
Aubuchon said she's happy to hear that progress is being made for the Florence library.
"We're just anxiously waiting," Aubuchon said.
Herrmann said the board plans to host public meetings where the community can offer feedback on potential designs. Those meetings aren't yet scheduled, but we'll update you when they are.
