Watauga
Building Expansion Project
The drawings pictured above were part of a possible concept plan prepared by Appalachian Architecture for the Watauga County Public Library in February, 2023. The final drawings for the expansion may look different.
Monica Caruso speaks about the need for expansion. For more videos, scroll down.
The Need for Expansion
If you’ve spent time in our building, you may not need convincing that our space is too small for our needs! Check out a brief history of the Watauga County Public Library here. You may view our 2022 statistical overview here.
We are past our “build by” date by 9 years! Did you know that when this building was constructed in 1997, it was built 1/3 smaller than intended due to limited funds available at the time? Here is the 1995 original project description. According to the State Library of NC facility guidelines, our building is currently 8000 sq. ft. smaller than the lowest “Essential” level of standards for our adjusted population. Our HVAC system, carpeting, and furnishings are just as old as the building. It’s time to catch up with our current population and plan for the next 20 years of library service to Watauga County!
We are maxed out on public use space that our users want and need! Our patrons have spoken and we have listened! Some ways we would plan to use added space include:
- Programming space including STEM for children, teens, and adults with room for large and small groups
- Comfortable and quiet seating for adults /more chairs and tables with access to power outlets.
- Private workspaces for individuals or small groups with power outlets
- Additional public meeting room space to accomodate large and small groups
- Local history and genealogy materials / Digital Watauga work
- Storage and space for our Friends group to sort donations and work
- Workspace/offices for staff
Our staff and programming need more space to support our public services! We’ve made creative use of our limited space thus far, but we’d love to give our staff the room they need to provide the best programming for our community.
The Desired Expansion Project
We had local architect Bill Dixon of Appalachian Architecture P.A. put together a tentative concept plan for our building, which includes a 3-story addition out into the lawn (adding a basement, extending the main level, and adding a mezzanine) that would take our square footage from 16,840 to 40,034 – more than double! There would also be a second entrance added and a refurbishment of our current floor, which will require updates to accommodate the additional square footage.
It’s an amazing plan with a big price tag of $13.9M. We are hoping for a significant contribution from Watauga County, with help from the Town of Boone, state, federal and foundation grant awards, and private fundraising.
How can you help support a library expansion?
There are many ways to show your support for the project and help advance our efforts toward the plan!
- Provide feedback in our Google form
- Sign our petition at https://www.change.org/p/we-need-to-expand-the-watauga-county-public-library
- Spread the word across the community via word of mouth and social media
- Use library resources (Is your card active? Have you checked out a book lately?)
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Donate to our Friends of the Library building expansion fund by:
-Writing a check to the Friends of the Watauga County Public Library and writing "Building Fund" in the memo section. Bring check to Library Circulation desk or mail to Watauga County Public Library 140 Queen Street, Boone, NC 28607.
-Using your credit card or cash to donate at the Library Circulation desk. Your donation will be put into the Friends building fund.
-Donating stocks, bonds or options through your brokerage firm. The Friends are partnering with Allen Wealth Management in Boone to manage stock, bonds or option donations. They can be reached at (828) 268-9693.
- While in the Library, let us know on a sticky note what you would like to see in an expansion.
- Children can donate their coins in the wishing well and make a wish for the new Library!
- Advocate to our locally elected officials about the importance of this project!
StudentAccess
Welcome to StudentAccess!
Watauga County Schools and the Watauga County Public Library are partnering to support students’ ongoing education. We share the belief that a love of books and learning is a strong foundation for student success and we are working together to provide every Watauga student access to books and resources found at their public library.
Beginning October 9, 2017, all Watauga County students will be able to use their Student ID number to access and borrow public library books and resources. We are calling this initiative StudentAccess.
StudentAccess participants may borrow up to 10 books or audio-books from the Watauga County Library or Western Watauga Branch Library. No late fees will be charged for these items, however replacement costs for lost or damaged item may be assessed.
You can access your account at any time by logging in with your student or teacher identification number and PIN. The PIN is the last four digits of your student/teacher ID.
StudentAccess participants will also be able to access our collection of digital content. For more information on using our digital collections such as downloadable e books or e audio-books click HERE.
StudentAccess participants also have access to our collection of Online Resources. This includes our collection of databases, study guides, and much more. Click HERE to learn more about our Online Resources.
We are excited to provide this new service to our local educators and public school students! We are working to plan and provide training to parents, teachers, and students. Please check back for new and additional resources. If you have questions or would like to schedule a training session with a librarian, please contact Monica Caruso, Watauga County Librarian, 828-264-8784, X 4.
Research & Resources
Legal Help
NC Free Legal Answers (online)
NC Free Legal Answers is a new, free, online legal advice service , now available to help provide access to justice to the citizens in all regions of North Carolina.
Job Help
NCWorks Online
This is a one-stop online resource for job seekers and employers in North Carolina. Job seekers can search for jobs, create resumes, and find education and training. Employers can find candidates, post jobs, and search labor market information.
Watauga County Public Library Employment Resources Guide
Check out this link above for books and other items that can be borrowed, tutorials, and online resources.
Résumés, Résumé Help, and Job Search Help Sessions
Our library's public computers all have Microsoft Word (2016 version), which can be used to make a résumé for job-searching. The Library offers one-on-one help sessions, by appointment, for making a résumé or for using the NCWorks Online web site. Call (828) 264-8784, extension # 2, to make an appointment, or send a message to "Adult Services" from our Online Contact Form.
Preparing to take the Driving Test?
Visit dmv-permit-test.com
Free online practice driving tests, specific to your state!
Online Information Resources, A-Z List
NC Live
This online collection of ebooks, newspapers, journals, magazines, films, and more is available to all library card holders. If you are accessing these resources from home, you will need to select your library (Appalachian Regional Library) and enter your library card number to access some NC Live offerings. A few popular resources are listed below.
Home Grown Ebook Collection
This downloadable eBook collection of fiction and nonfiction titles is curated from North Carolina publishers who encourage you to see what's in season, learn something local, and find something novel!
Business Portal
Discover a wealth of information including trade publications, market research data, and business plan resources.
Health & Wellness Information Center
Find eBooks, videos, and guides to thousands of medical conditions or search by condition to access reliable wellness information.
NC Digital Newspaper Collection
This collection includes student and community newspapers from schools and towns around North Carolina and is an excellent resource for historical research.
International Newsstream
International Newsstream provides information from more than 660 of the world's top newspapers, including The Times (London), The Bangkok Post, El Norte, Financial Times, The Guardian, Jerusalem Post, South China Morning Post, The Daily Telegraph, Asian Wall Street Journal, and the BBC Monitoring series of publications.
Other Databases and Resources
Ancestry Library Edition
Begin researching your family history with this collection of records and user-created content. This resource is available to all patrons within the library building.
Interlibrary Loan
Library patrons in good standing may request up to five titles at a time through our interlibrary loan service. To find titles that may be available, start your search with World Cat. Then, visit or call the Adult Services Reference Desk in the middle of the Library (next to the Computer area) to make a request. The fee for interlibrary loan requests is the cost of return postage for each item borrowed, and lending periods vary according to the policies of the lending institution. Patrons must call the library to request renewals for interlibrary loan items.
NCWorks Online
This is a one-stop online resource for job seekers and employers in North Carolina. Job seekers can search for jobs, create resumes, and find education and training. Employers can find candidates, post jobs, and search labor market information.
Résumés, Résumé Help, and Job Search Help Sessions
Our library's public computers all have Microsoft Word (2016 version), which can be used to make a résumé for job-searching. The Library offers one-on-one help sessions, by appointment, for making a résumé or for using the NCWorks Online web site. Call (828) 264-8784, extension # 2, to make an appointment.
Consumer Reports
The library subscribes to the print version of this popular consumer education publication.
Digital Watauga
Digital Watauga
Connect to our local history by accessing Watauga County’s historical images, documents, and other materials.
Visit the Digital Watauga website for online digital collections of the High Country's archival memories, including the prolific work of local photographers such as Palmer Blair and George Flowers.
Watauga County Public Library Newsletter
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