MARION — The inside of the Elizabeth Taber Library will likely look a little different next year.

The Marion Select Board expressed support for a project to renovate the library’s interior presented Tuesday, July 16 by trustee Kyle Pardo.

The project intends to “enhance the overall library experience” for both patrons and employees while the goal of the new design is to “provide welcoming, enhanced spaces that adapt to the evolving needs of our community,” Pardo said.

The project is expected to cost $600,000 to $700,000 and is entirely funded through donations. No funding will be sought from the town of Marion, according to Pardo.

The proposed project would redesign the front circulation desk to have three counters of different heights, one of which would be accessible by wheelchair, according to Pardo.

“It looks fantastic,” Marion Select Board member Toby Burr said.

It would also widen aisles inside the library in order to accommodate wheelchairs and expand the building’s meeting space.

The meeting area redesign will allow the space to “welcome groups of varying sizes” and easily convert into two separate areas, Pardo said.

The renovations are compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, according to Pardo.

“I think it’s going to be a great project,” Marion Select Board member Randy Parker said.

The adjacent Marion Natural History Museum will not be impacted by the project, according to Pardo.

The redesign is expected to take six to eight weeks between November 2024 to January 2025, Pardo said.

The renovations will close Taber Library for two to three weeks, according to Pardo.

The library may operate a satellite during that time, though a specific location is yet to be determined.