Danny Federico: reporter3.riverbendnews@gmail.com
The Suwannee River Regional Library, Robert Leonard Building, in Branford, is on track for a major expansion, thanks to a long-awaited state grant.
During the Branford Town Council’s regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday, May 13, SRRL Director Betty Lawrence spoke to the council about the ongoing construction and the improvements planned for the facility. Lawrence, who has overseen the library system for years, said the expansion has been in the works since 2019, when the county first applied for a Florida Library Construction Grant.
“That was when we realized that the library services at the Branford library were growing a lot,” Lawrence said, attributing the rise to the efforts of branch manager Donna Koon and her staff. “They’ve been doing an excellent job.”
She continued, explaining how there were times when the library had to hold events at other locations due to its limited space. After speaking with Koon back in 2019, the two decided to address the Suwannee County Board of County Commissioners to see if they could apply for construction grants in hopes of improving the over-20-year-old building. They managed to attain approval and applied for a placement on the grant list.
“They surprised us this time because they started to award grants to everybody on the list. And fortunately, we stayed on the list when a whole lot of other places dropped off. We were so glad we stayed on,” Lawrence said. “We got $500,000 in order to do the expansion. I wanted it to be a little bit larger than what it is, but we are landlocked, and unfortunately, we couldn’t get someone to sell properties around it. But everything is working out.”
The project includes the addition of a new meeting room, a study room, and a dedicated collection focused on the region’s springs and waterways — a feature Lawrence felt was particularly relevant to the Branford area.
“I drive through Branford if I’m going to Gainesville or Lake City sometimes,” Lawrence began. “When I come back, there’s a sign that’s been there, I guess, forever, that says Branford is the ‘Spring Diving Capital of the World.’ So, I thought, ‘Well, what does this mean?’”
Lawrence explained that she grew up on the other side of McAlpin, but she never really knew much about the springs and waterways. Since the libraries don’t have much information on the springs, she thought it would be a good idea to have a whole section dedicated to the subject.
The expansion is estimated to be completed shortly after August.
Town council members expressed their appreciation for Lawrence and Koon’s leadership, with Chairman Jay Hatch jokingly remarking, “I know Donna’s excited to stretch her legs.”
Lawrence said she hopes to return in the future to share more updates as the project progresses.
The next regular Branford Town Council meeting will be held at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, June 10. It will take place in the meeting chambers of the Town Hall, located at 502 SW Suwannee Ave., in Branford.