The Warren County Board of Supervisors approved $235,000 to be spent on improvements to the Warren County-Vicksburg Public Library during Monday’s regular meeting.

David Scott is the director of the library.

“We’re refreshing, revamping, and reorganizing the whole downstairs,” he said.

A large portion of the cost will be replacing worn-out shelving that has been in use since the library opened in 1978.

The children’s section will be reorganized and relocated. Also, a teen area will be developed.

“It’s time for our youth area to move into the 21st century and catch up to what, you know, we feel like we are the best library in Mississippi,” Scott said. “But we know that in some ways we are behind nationwide, and we want to catch up to what the library world is doing now.”

A makers space will also be housed in the downstairs area.

“We’ll have… heat presses for T-shirts and mugs and all that kind of stuff (and) sewing machines,” Scott said. “I have another library who has told me they would give me some of their 3D printers, and if not, we’ll end up buying our own, probably.”

Marie Cunningham is the children’s librarian at the facility. She mentioned that some of the new furniture will be on wheels to make it easy to move.

“With the ability to move the bookcases and things, we’ll be able to do more activities down here because we can open up the floor space,” she said.

Scott said he is grateful for a community that values the library.

“Our community and politics-wise, you know, we have a group of supervisors that, so far as I can tell, my experience with them, they believe in education and community and they understand what we here at the library are trying to do,” Scott said. “We’re fortunate that Warren County is a believer in the library.”

Scott said he is hoping the improvements will be in place by the fall.