Photo by Solomon Crenshaw Jr.
Regan Branch of the Cherokee Bend community reads to her sons, 8-year-old Harvey and 6-year-old Wilson, in a temporary library book display at Mountain Brook City Hall in June while the O’Neal Library is being renovated.
Sometimes wishes are granted.
Take Lindsy Gardner’s wish to repurpose space at the O’Neal Library. Mountain Brook’s librarian wanted more “maker space.”
“When the foundation retained an architect three years ago, we said, ‘Hey, here’s what we want the space to do,’” Gardner said. “Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that we would get everything on our list. But that’s what architects do; they figure out how to make the most efficient use of the space so that we could add new spaces for the services that our patrons have been asking for, for years.
“And we’ll still have plenty of room for books,” she said. “We’re not really reducing our collection at all. We’re having plenty of spaces for people to study, and lots of all the things that people love about the library will still be there.”
Photo by Solomon Crenshaw Jr.
A sign alerts visitors that the O’Neal Library is temporarily set up inside Mountain Brook City Hall during a library renovation project.
The Mountain Brook City Council on May 18 awarded a $5.8 million contract to Rives Construction Company for renovations at the O’Neal Library. The City Council also approved a cost-sharing agreement with the Mountain Brook Library Foundation, with the foundation picking up $3.05 million of the cost and the city providing $2.75 million.
“We’re just making better use of the space inside,” Gardner said. “We’re adding spaces for a lot of the services that our patrons have asked for over the years, and then we’re also doing some necessary upgrades, like replacing our lighting with LED, and we’re replacing some very outdated flooring in the nonpublic areas. We’re going to completely renovate the bathrooms. But we’re most excited about making more room for the children’s area and for children’s programming, adding more study space, creating a space just for teens and having a bigger maker space.”
As the name suggests, the library’s maker space is where things are made. Currently, the maker space is not very spacious.
“It’s a teeny little dark room that’s hidden away where we offer 3D printing, sewing classes, technology assistance,” Gardner said. “We do a lot. We help entrepreneurs and inventors with their projects. We’ve had rocketry — amateur rocket clubs print parts for their rockets. We’ve had the coroner’s office print probes to do autopsies. We’ve had students who printed models of the throat to study the human body. We’ve had all kinds of things come out of our 3D printer. The sewing classes have been really, really popular. We’re excited about being able to expand those services and add some new things.”
Photo by Solomon Crenshaw Jr.
Eleven-year-old Ezra Francisco and his 9-year-old brother, Amos, play with toy dinosaurs related to their summer reading in a temporary library set up in the council chamber at Mountain Brook City Hall.
In a time when some think the internet has pushed libraries aside, patrons of the O’Neal Library know better.
“During normal times, we have about 450 people who walk through the doors every day,” Gardner said. “We, at any given time, have about 12,000 items checked out. Our collection is about 125,000 items. Our total circulation of the print collection is somewhere around … 340,000 items a year. On top of that, we have digital checkouts that get us to almost half a million items checked out a year. On top of that, we have thousands of people who come to programs, children’s programs, mahjong, yoga.
“We are the heart of the community in a lot of ways,” she continued. “We’re doing this [renovation] to make sure that we can give our patrons the best experience — not just for next year but for the next 25 years. This is an investment for the next 25 years of library services.”
Planned upgrades include:
- Expanded children’s play areas
- A larger storytelling room
- A dedicated teen space
- A larger and more visible Innovation Center
- Four additional study rooms
- A small conference room
- LED lighting throughout the building
- Renovated restrooms
- Updated furniture and interior finishes
Photo by Solomon Crenshaw Jr.
Library books are displayed in the Sam S. Gaston Council Chamber at Mountain Brook City Hall while the O’Neal Library is being renovated.
Construction is expected to continue for approximately 12 months, with the main library building anticipated to reopen in summer 2027. In the meantime, patrons will be served in the Sam Gaston Council Chambers of City Hall.
City Hall library hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday except for Wednesday. The library will give way to municipal court at 2 p.m. Wednesday.
Some library functions moved to other remote locations. Mountain Brook Baptist Church will host mahjong play, and Mountain Brook Presbyterian Church will host the Great Stories Discussion Group.
