The Lady Lake Library is proud to announce it has been awarded a $1 million Lake County Library Impact Fee grant to support its ambitious expansion project. This allocation will contribute to the Children’s Library portion of the project, with the Town of Lady Lake funding the remaining cost that includes an expansion of the Information Technology Department and addition of the Growth Management annex.

The project aims to enhance the library’s offerings by enlarging the youth library area from 4,560 sq. ft. to 7,697 sq. ft., a 69% increase. It includes an expanded lobby, an additional public elevator, and a landing area for the new second floor Children’s Library, adding more than 3,000 sq. ft. to the public spaces.

“This expansion is crucial for meeting the growing needs of our community,” said Library Director Aly Herman. “We have quickly outgrown our current youth library, and this project will allow us to significantly enhance the library’s collection and programs, benefiting all our patrons.”

The county’s impact fee grant is justified by the library’s extensive reach and the expected Town population growth. The Lady Lake Library, part of the Lake County Library System, serves over 16,000 registered cardholders and welcomes approximately 14,500 visitors each month. With the town anticipating a dozen new development projects with an estimated population increase of 8,500 people within the next four years, the expansion is timely.

“The Lady Lake Library is a vital resource for our community,” Town Manager Bill Lawrence said. “This expansion will ensure we can continue to provide excellent services to accommodate our growing community. We are thankful for the generosity and support we have received from Lake County towards realizing this vision.”

The expansion will provide much-needed space for additional shelving, reading areas, a larger storytime room, a multipurpose room, and more study spaces. The library hopes to grow its children’s collection by 25% and the expanded space will allow for a greater number of programs.

“We are proud to assist our member libraries, such as Lady Lake, in worthy projects that not only benefit their municipalities, but also the community as a whole,” said George Taylor, Director for the Office of Library Services for the Lake County Library System. “I would like to thank the library directors for their thoughtful applications, our dedicated Library Advisory Board for their recommendations and the Board of County Commissioners for their support of these projects.”