CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – Library Director Martha Hendricks gave County Commissioners a sneak peak at the future North Clarksville Library Branch last week at their informal meeting, presenting the newest design images for the popular project.

The new library branch, which is to be built at 435 Jordan Road near the intersection of Purple Heart Parkway, was put on hold early last year due to concerns surrounding the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the county’s budget.

The project is being considered for re-inclusion in the county’s 2021-22 budget. Hendrick’s said she is hopeful the popular project will be able to move forward.

“I’m very optimistic. I think it’s a very popular project with a lot of people. I think it’s needed and there’s a lot of support from the county commissioners I’ve spoken to,” said Hendricks.

What’s in the new library?

In her presentation, Hendricks said that the new library would serve several functions beyond books.

The North Clarksville Library Branch will include computer labs, meeting rooms, an office center, a demonstration kitchen, maker space, reading areas, private study rooms, a gaming room, outdoor patio, art gallery and a large fireplace.

The library will include a café with a Starbucks kiosk

The children’s center will have unique wall art, and interactive elements for kids to play with. Hendricks mentioned a giant lite-brite board and helicopter playset.

She also hopes that city will include a new bus hub in the project. This part of the project would not be included in county funding. A new bus hub would be part of the City’s budget.

Catching up with the rest of Tennessee

Montgomery County has fallen far behind its peers in regards to library service, being the largest county in the state to have only one library.

Below are the counties with populations just above and below Montgomery’s, their population, principal city and number of libraries:

Rutherford (Murfreesborro): 332,285 | 6 libraries

Sumner (Gallatin): 238,412 | 5 libraries

Montgomery County (Clarksville): 208,993 | 1 library

Sullivan (Johnson City): 158,348 | 5 libraries

Wilson (Lebanon): 132,00 | 3 libraries

*populations according to Census Bureau’s 2019 U.S. Census

Hendricks said she hopes the new branch will be the first in a series of new locations, and that the services they offer will demonstrate the need for them.

“I think once people understand what it’s like to have library service within 10 to 15 of their home, their going to demand in other parts of their city,” said Hendricks. “You want to equate library footage with the population, so if you have 200,000 people, you want 200,000 square feet of library space.”

What’s next?

Work on the county’s 2021-22 budget is currently underway, with the Commission Finance Committee meeting with individual department heads throughout the week, to formulate a budget to bring before the Commission as a whole.

Capital projects like the North Clarksville Library Branch will be considered for the budget as part of this process.