Casco Public Library held an open house on Sunday to promote plans for a major expansion.

Library Director Michelle Brenner told Lakes Region Now that the library has been making improvements since it started strategic planning in 2021, including exterior work, modernizing older parts of the building, and putting in solar panels.

The most recent phase of planned expansion is set to include renovations to some rooms that Brenner said are nearing end of life because of inadequate construction, an enclosed courtyard for outdoor learning and relaxation, and improvements to increase accessibility for disabled patrons.

The most important expansion, said Brenner, will be a “quiet space,” separated from the rest of the library by a vestibule, intended for adults to read in peace or do remote work. Brenner said because the library is all connected, when there are activities in the children’s area, there can be a lot of disruption for other guests. The idea for the project, she said, came from a statewide initiative promoting remote work through libraries, through which the library received a $100,000 grant from the state.

Library Treasurer Pamela Edwards, while giving attendees a virtual tour of the grounds on which the new additions will be built, gave more insight into the finances of the project. She said that through a mix of individual donors and competitive grant programs, the library has raised $550,000 out of the $800,000 needed to build all of the additions. Future grants, she said, would cover about half of the remaining $250,000.

One major obstacle to the plans was the discovery that much of the property is not technically owned by the library. Brenner said the library, which is a 501(c)(3) association independent of the town government, expanded into Casco’s former fire station to create the current children’s section in the late 1980s, but the town never filed the deed to give the library the land. The library would also need to establish a contract zone in order to build in the area in front of the building where the quiet space is expected to be located. Brenner said the issue will be discussed in an upcoming Planning Board workshop, with the hope of getting an easement agreement and contract zone established at the January town meeting, and construction starting in the summer of 2026.

Reception to the quiet space has been positive from library staff and residents. George Shank, a volunteer and member of the board of trustees, told Lakes Region Now the project is crucial because Casco is a growing community, and people need a place where they can work and hold meetings and programming. Volunteer David Hyer envisioned the space as being the adult equivalent of the children’s playroom, while Lindsey Montana, who was at the open house to provide musical entertainment, said he was excited to have a quiet space to use computers and do taxes.