Editor’s note: This is one in a series of articles reflecting on positive change in Moultrie and Colquitt County in 2017. See the column at left for links to other stories in the series.

MOULTRIE, Ga. — The Moultrie public library plans to move to temporary housing early next year so that renovations of the current building can move as quickly and smoothly as possible.

Library Director Holly Phillips said the library is making arrangements to vacate the building at 204 Fifth St. S.E. in time for construction to start in March. If all goes well, it will be back in its longtime home in September.

Phillips said the architects told her moving out during construction would save both time and money.

The next meeting with the architects will be in January, Phillips said, and officials hope to bid the project out that month too.

The library moved from downtown to the Fifth Street site Nov. 27, 1964, and while it’s had two additions built on since then, it’s never been fully renovated. Plans have been discussed for years, but the ball really got rolling early this year when the Georgia Library Service listed the project as No. 2 on the priority list it presents to state legislators for funding. The Friends of the Library urged local residents to contact lawmakers — both the local ones, who already supported the project, and the committee members who would have the greatest say in which projects were funded.

When the governor signed the state budget in May, it included almost $2 million for the renovation.

As part of the grant program under which the renovation is being funded, local agencies have to match part of the state money. That match was already in the bank, Phillips said, thanks to the Waldo Deloache Trust and donations through the Friends group.

Phillips spoke with The Observer in late January about the Friends’ request for locals to contact lawmakers, and in that conversation she described the renovation plans in general terms:

• The front entrance would be reconfigured to be handicap-accessible.

• The computer lab will move to where the Willcoxon Auditorium is now.

• The children’s section will move closer to the front desk.

• The renovation will create a dedicated space for teens.

• Group work rooms will be added, where teams can work together on projects and make a little more noise than working in the main library area would permit.

Since then, library officials have met several times with the architects from McMillan Pazdan Smith to fill in the details.

“It’s fun seeing it go through all the concepts,” Phillips said recently. “The direction the children’s room is going in, I think it’s going to be an outstanding space.”

The library had already done some work as part of the county government’s energy audit a couple of years ago. More remediation has been done as it’s moved through the planning phase for the remodel.

“There was a lot of things between here and there,” Phillips said.