A rendering of the Marianne Beck Memorial Library after expansion.

Marianne Beck Memorial Library, part of the Lake County Library System, is hosting a groundbreaking ceremony for the expansion of the library.

The ceremony is scheduled for 4pm Friday, March 20, at the library, 112 W. Central Ave. in Howey-in-the-Hills. The free event will include speeches, refreshments and live music. Following the groundbreaking, guests are invited to stay for the monthly “Meet the Artist” event, showcasing local artist Nita Amundson, according to a news release.

The existing library will receive a new 2,000-square-foot wing, doubling its current size to help support the increasing popularity of library-hosted events. Most of the tables will be moved into the meeting area, allowing the existing library space to be reconfigured to store more resources. Construction is expected to be completed by the end of this year.

“Howey is a small but vibrant town,” Tara Hall, library director at Beck, says in the release. “We have an amazing group of volunteers who help run the library, and we receive a lot of support from the community. The new space will be for everyone to enjoy.”

“The library is a reflection of the community,” adds George Taylor, director of the Lake County Library System. “Our goal is to meet the public’s needs and engage everyone who visits our libraries. This expansion will help us accomplish that and much more.”

For more information about the library system and future programs, call or visit your local library, or go to mylakelibrary.org, facebook.com/lakecountyfllibrary or twitter.com/lakelibrary.