Warren County-Vicksburg Public Library embraces flexible future with local touch

VICKSBURG, Miss. (VDN) — The Warren County-Vicksburg Public Library is in the midst of a major transformation aimed at reimagining what a library can be for its community—blending flexible design, community partnerships, and local craftsmanship.

In last week’s Warren County Board of Supervisors meeting, the board approved a request from the library for $235,000 for library improvements.

“We’re putting in new shelving, creating an updated teen space, and launching a maker space,” said Library Director David Scott. “Thankfully, that’s now in motion.”

Scott emphasized that this shift is about much more than just updating furniture. The library is responding to changing needs, expanding programming, and enhancing its role as a hub for community engagement.

“We’re starting to work with the Young Professionals group more and the Chamber of Commerce to host events and bring people in,” he said. “It’s hard to broadcast everything too early before contracts are final, but I can definitely speak about the direction we’re headed.”

The plans for the renovations have been in the works for a while now and includes replacing much of the aging furniture with new, flexible pieces. But rather than turning to standard commercial vendors, the library is planning to work with a local craftsman to create custom, solid-wood furniture at a lower cost than commercial alternatives.

“We got a quote from a manufacturer for $280,000 for the tables, chairs, and shelving we wanted,” Scott said. “That was a bit of a shock. So I reached out to local artisans instead.”

One of those is David Dill, a member of the Craftsmen’s Guild of Mississippi based in Jackson. Dill, who has had previous experience designing for libraries, offered to build pieces using locally sourced wood—at a lower price point than the prefabricated options.

“You’re telling me we can get it handmade, solid wood, locally made, unique furniture for less? Okay, let’s do this,” Scott said. “No other library in the world will have what we’ll have. It’ll be us—Warren County and Vicksburg.”

One key element of the renovation is mobility. New shelving will be mounted on wheels, making it easier to reconfigure the space for events, workshops, or fundraisers.

“If [our current layout] doesn’t work, too bad—it’s stuck there. But since it will all be on wheels, we can arrange it as need be” Scott said. “If we want to do some big program where we need more floor space, we can shove [the shelves] out of the way and host a ball or community event. Libraries aren’t just shelves of books anymore.”

Programs at the library now include gardening classes, craft workshops, yoga, and dance. The idea, according to Scott, is to create a flexible, welcoming space that serves as a true third place for the community—an alternative to home or work.

“You’ve already paid to be here with your taxes,” Scott said. “We are here for the community, and we hope that people start seeing that, that we’re that third space that doesn’t really exist.”

Scott emphasized the importance of inclusivity and accessibility, both in design and services. From tech classes to local history programming, the library strives to offer something for everyone—and at no cost.

“We don’t ever charge for our programs,” Scott said. “We’ll occasionally have a small materials fee for a craft class, but we try to find grant money to cover that too.”

The library is also rethinking its collection and resource allocation. With the decline of physical media such as DVDs and audiobooks, more funds are being shifted toward digital platforms like Hoopla.

“We used to buy a lot of CDs and DVDs, but COVID and technology killed that,” Scott said. “We’re shifting our funds to digital, and we were fortunate we had money allocated for audiobooks, we just shifted it to a different format.”

In the end, the renovations and programming reflect a deeper mission: making Warren County stronger through education, accessibility, and community.

“Every community deserves this kind of place,” Scott said. “Study after study shows that when you open a public library branch, happiness goes up, economic activity goes up, crime goes down. Every community deserves that kind of benefit. We’re not miracle workers, but we try.”