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Staff photos.
Children work on crafts at O’Neal Library.
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Staff photos.
The library has several interior renovations planned including and expansion of the children’s department to provide more space for programming.
O’Neal Library may soon look a little different, with plans for interior renovations beginning to take shape.
The library is in need of updates to ensure it continues to meet the needs of the community, including addressing safety, accessibility and infrastructure concerns.
“Back in 2018, we started to think about how the use of the library has changed and how the design of the building could be improved to make sure that patrons have a great experience at the library,” said Library Director Lindsy Gardner. “So at that time, we came up with some goals that we wanted to accomplish.”
One of the key goals is expanding the children’s department to provide more space for its popular programming and to allow parents and children to enjoy books together. Additional plans include creating a dedicated teen space and more areas for people to work or study. The library does not anticipate significant changes to the footprint of its collection.
“Those were three of the main things we set out several years ago as goals for a project like this,” Gardner said. “Most recently, the Library Foundation has hired an architectural firm, and we’re working with them to see how our goals for the space might be accommodated in an interior renovation.”
Staff photos.
The library has several interior renovations planned including and expansion of the children’s department to provide more space for programming.
The projected cost of the renovation is approximately $7 million. The city has agreed to provide up to $2,750,000 toward the project, contingent on the Mountain Brook Library Foundation securing the remainder through its capital fundraising campaign or investment reserves.
The Mountain Brook Library Foundation was formed in 1993 to provide a future source of income for the O’Neal Library. Through the work of many dedicated volunteers, the foundation has raised over $8 million in a public-private fundraising effort for the current library building.
The existing building opened in 2001, and while Gardner says it is in good condition, the way people use libraries has significantly changed over the last 25 years.
The library had over 150,000 visits during the last fiscal year (September 2023 to October 2024), circulated nearly 400,000 physical items, and had approximately 50,000 digital audiobook circulations. The juvenile program alone drew 17,000 attendees throughout the year.
While there is no set timeline for when the project or fundraising will begin, Gardner hopes it will be in the next few years.
“We just want to make sure we’re planning for the future and continuing to provide excellent service to the community,” Gardner said.
