News and Music Discovery
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

New Benton Library to be Double in Size and Feature ‘Makerspace’

Kristi Tucker, Marshall County Public Libraries

Marshall County Public Public Library will break ground on a new building in Benton in April that will be double the size of the current library and offer new services.

Marshall County Public Library System director Kristi Tucker says the plan to build a larger library has been in the works for nearly ten years.

 

She said the old library is ‘bursting at the seams’ with books and doesn’t offer a quiet space for study.

 

She said the new library will also offer a ‘makerspace’ where patrons can access tools from 3-D printing to sewing equipment.

 
“It’s really amazing some of the things you can do if you have a space and the equipment, so we can provide the patrons an opportunity to come in and try something like laser cutting or building a robot.” Tucker said.

Tucker said the new library will cost around $7 million.

 

She said the money comes from saved funds and the sale of the old library building.

 

The rest will be paid for through a bonding process. The project will take at least 18 months to complete.

 

Taylor is a recent Murray State University graduate where she studied journalism and history. When she's not reporting for WKMS, she enjoys creative writing and traveling. She loves writing stories that involve diversity, local culture and history, nature and recreation, art and music, and national or local politics. If you have a news tip or idea, shoot her an email at tinman1@murraystate.edu!
Related Content