MARION — The smell of fresh paint greeted guests as they entered the Elizabeth Taber Library for its grand opening Monday, March 24. After three months of construction, bookworms were welcomed back into the space — complete with new lighting, new rooms and new furniture.

At the end of a renovation 30 years in the making, stands a library that is bigger and better — without any expansion of the building itself. The renovation — with an $800,000 price tag — left no surface untouched.

President of the Board of Library Trustees David Finn-Clarke said he’s excited to welcome guests back into the space after the library moved into the Marion Music Hall during construction.

“I felt like for the last two months — just this sort of disconnect,” Finn-Clarke said. “You walk in now and it’s all future based. We’ve got technology but we’ve still got the books. It’s nice that you can still have that combination — libraries are an important bunch of places.”

The library used to have shelves obscuring the windows, but a shift in the orientation has allowed for better natural light. Finn-Clarke said that along with redoing the layout, the library was made to be more Americans with Disabilities Act compliant. The spaces between shelves are wider and the front desk is now wheelchair accessible.

The former meeting room that used to only fit eight people was opened up by tearing down a closet. The children’s area — save for an unmoveable beam that was worked around during construction — has also been made wider.

Library Director Elizabeth Sherry said that she can’t believe how much they accomplished in the renovation. She said that the accessibility of the library was something she had in the five-year half a decade ago and seeing everything finally together is thrilling.

“Until right this second everything was all about making sure it all got done,” she said. “We had little bits and pieces going on, then having to move out and go to a new space, moving back in here, having to do the unpacking. Today is the first day that it’s up and running.”

John G. Sabbag was the project manager for the renovation and made sure everything ran smoothly. From negotiating with the architect, to making sure the vision was completed — he helped make compromises along the way and ensured the project stayed within budget.

“They are a great group of people to work with and they had a really good vision of what they really wanted — it all came together,” he said.

Chairs Lucia Jaccaci and Kyle Pardo both had a big hand in the renovation helping to finalize color swatches and ensuring that the historical aspects of the library remained during construction.

Pardo said the goal was to keep the library inviting and warm.

“We wanted to add a little bit of fun so that’s why you’ll see the pops of color on the chairs,” Pardo said.

Jaccaci said seeing the project through was better than she could have anticipated.

“We knew from the beginning that it was going to be a transformational project but we knew we had to stay within our existing blueprint,” she said. “We had to think very creatively — changing things around to make the illusion of space — then the color choices. You don’t know how it’s going to come together until the end.”

The grand reopening saw Select Board members, townsfolk and even Representative Mark Sylvia enjoying the new space. There was a ribbon cutting ceremony in which Finn-Clarke and Sherry brought up Nancy Braitmayer to do the honors.

Braitmayer, who donated the full cost for the project, has remained anonymous throughout the renovation. She said she didn’t want the attention all on her but decided to reveal herself due to the curiosity of the community.

A former member of the board, Braitmayer said she knew the renovations needed to be done for a long time and her love for the library led her to offer the help.

“It was fun because I was a part of the whole project,” she said. “It makes me feel great because I think anybody in town can come in and use the space.”

The line to speak to Braitmayer was long as many people had thanks to give to her. She said she loved the final product.

“I love the openness of the main library and the exposure of the columns is beautiful,” she said. “The lower shelving just made it so much more open.”

The House of Representatives offered congratulations for the library and town of Marion in successfully completing the renovation. Sylvia presented the citation to the board at the ribbon cutting ceremony.

“The entire membership extends its very best wishes and expresses the hope for future good fortune and continued good success in all endeavors,” he said.