EDGARD — The Roland Borne Memorial Library is being renovated in an effort to make the Edgard library as aesthetically pleasing and spacious as others in the parish.

Tammy Houston, assistant director of the St. John the Baptist Library system is excited the renovation calls for the addition of two rooms at the library, located at 2979 Louisiana 18 in Edgard.

“We’re moving the help desk into the middle of the room, we are adding more computers and we are going to spruce things up a little bit,” she said. “The library isn’t in bad shape, it’s just time for a make over. We needed to do some additions to bring the library up to speed with our other libraries. The carpet is old, and the paint job is old.”

Houston said an attractive library invites people inside, adding libraries are “the backbone of a community.”

“It’s a hub,” she said. “It’s filled with entertainment, filled with educational resources and it’s filled with computer and Internet access.”

District 1 Councilman Art Smith, whose district includes the library, is thrilled the renovations are planned, adding “it’s about time” and the renovations are “long passed due.”

“The library has not kept up with the times,” he said.

“People have outgrown the library. Physically, the library is in good shape, but it’s too small.”

With the additions to the existing building, space should no longer be an issue. Smith believes after the renovations are complete, more community members will enjoy what the library has to offer.

“A library is important to a community because it’s a meeting place,” Smith said. “It’s a central place in the community where people meet up. You’ve got newspapers there and books there, kids go to the library and so do adults. It’s a central place in the community and it’s also a essential part of the community.”

Smith says the library an important part of the Edgard community.

Brain Beadle, an associate at Sizeler Thompson Brown Architects, said officials estimate the expansion and renovation will begin in late February and take eight months to complete.

“They are going to replace some interior finishes,” Beadle said. “They are going to paint, re-do the restrooms and remove and replace the carpet. Those are the renovations to the existing structure.

“They are also making an addition to the building, which is around 2,000 square feet.

“They are going to have more book space, more shelf space and there will be two small study rooms.”

During stages of the renovation, the library will remain open to the public, but certain portions the library may close.

“Only at a certain point, like removing the carpet, repainting and all those things, they will have to vacate the space temporarily,” he said.