ST. CHARLES, Mo. — The St. Charles City-County Public Library has launched a new project called Destination 2027 to improve services and utilize physical spaces for patrons.
Recently, two public library branches were shut down for large renovations. While Jason Kuhl, the CEO of the library admits that major library renovations usually start as changing structural or functional things, they also allow for improvements and changes to library facilities. One of the major needs for renovations at their biggest branch was carpeting, and since they had to remove all the carpets, the Middendorf-Kredell Branch in O’Fallon will be shut down until 2025.
The St. Peters branch, known as the Spencer Road Branch, had similar issues with flooring and an old water feature that was no longer working. While renovating, the library is making a move towards more accessible library staff.
Kuhl told us, “Something that we are doing at all of our locations is really, minimizing the big giant desks, right? I mean that was a model in libraries, you know, decades ago where you walk in and you see a bunch of people behind a desk and it’s really imposing, so we’ve moved to smaller desks, more single service points.”
For patrons of the library, this is an improvement in service. One patron, Lindsey West, takes her two home-schooled children to the library to give them a change of scenery and get new books. West said that they go to the library often, “We like it cause it’s got all the toys and fun kid stuff and we home school so it’s a great way to get out and do something different.”
Another thing that these new renovations at both the Middendorf-Kredell Branch and the Spencer Road Branch was the development of a new signage system.
Kuhl explained “Actually, it’s a system that we have planned district-wide so we have, will work toward having uniform signage and wayfinding everywhere. So hopefully everything will be easier to navigate it will be easier for patrons to find where they are going.”
Renovations at the Spencer Road Branch are already completed, patrons are welcome to go check out the new vending cafe and covered patio space. Renovations at the Middendorf-Kredell Branch are underway and expected to finish in early 2025.
