Last month, Wake County commissioners heard an update on what the entirety of the county's will specifically go toward, as well as its timeline.
The $142 million bond, approved by voters during last year鈥檚 election, will support several projects.
Of the county鈥檚 23 existing libraries, eight will undergo renovations and one will be expanded. The county will also relocate three libraries and build two that are completely new.
Matt Roylance, Wake's deputy director of community services, said the plans are based around making libraries accessible to residents.
"So for urban libraries, there's three categories, essential, enhanced, and exemplary,鈥� Roylance told commissioners in March. 鈥淎nd here in Wake County, we shoot for the exemplary. So, our library planning is based on trying to achieve a ten-minute drive time, meaning we would like for every resident to be within ten minutes of a library."
According to Roylance, almost 85% of the county鈥檚 population already lives within those ten minutes. But, he said the two new libraries will serve areas in Rolesville and Apex that haven't had that level of access. Roylance projects they鈥檒l bring the amount up by 4%.
Alongside these changes, county commissioners made a decision on how to spend an unallocated portion of the bond. $19 million will go toward relocating the Southgate Community Library in southeast Raleigh.
Commissioner Tara Waters represents the district Southgate is located in. At a recent meeting, she said the library has been dealing with several issues.
"The library currently resides in a shopping center next to a Food Lion, next to a sub shop, where there have been issues with water running into the library, and the space is quite tight,鈥� she said. 鈥淚n fact, I was there for a meeting with someone from the community who advocates for literacy, and while we were there, a group of preschoolers came in, and they were in a very cramped space. And it broke my heart to see that level of resource for a community that sees such literacy disparities.鈥�
Waters also said the community surrounding the library has campaigned for the expansion many times over the years.
Now, a 12,000 square foot building will replace the current Southgate location. It will follow Wake鈥檚 new prototype for community libraries鈥攚hich includes more resources and programming space.
As for the digital equity center it beat out, Commission Chair Susan Evans said it could be incorporated in the future.
鈥淚'm very much in favor of us having as robust digital literacy programs all throughout the county as we can possibly do, but that will become more of an operating funding conversation than it would be a capital conversation, because then you're talking about staffing and training,鈥� she said. 鈥淏ut I think we can get there. I certainly think we could get there.鈥�
The progress of the 14 total projects will be staggered. The county expects them all to be completed by 2034, with the new Southgate location projected to open by 2031.
