The small city of Loogootee broke ground Thursday on a new library that will be three times the current facility’s size.
The project’s been years in the making, and a more than $1 million loan from the U.S. Department of Agriculture is making it possible. It's part of a program that invests in rural communities.
The new library will be on Park Street, next to the St. Vincent de Paul store and food pantry. The organization donated the land, and another business donated a gravel lot adjacent to the space.
Library Director Darla Wagler says plans for the new library include much more space for community activities.
"What an opportunity and an investment in the community," Wagler says. "We're so close to the pool and the park and, you know, this could be the new entertainment hub."
The library plans to hire a full-time children’s librarian once the new building opens.
Wagler says they hope construction will be done by Thanksgiving.
