Expansion Plan



Over the past two years, working with consultants and architects from across the state, the Library's Board of Trustees developed a plan to add a much needed expansion to the north of the existing building.

While paying homage to the original and unique design of the Library, which is in an historical district, this new addition will allow the library to better serve its 21st century patrons with adequate facilities for computer and Internet equipment , a larger children's library, more room for its audio and video collection as well as more usable public reading rooms.

Part of the new area will also provide a larger browsing area to highlight newest arrivals as well as a young adults section. In addition, this plan will make the library, at last, ADA compliant with wheelchair access and an accessible rest room.

By relocating the Children’s Library to the new addition, the reading room space on the main floor will be doubled with the return of the second of the original reading rooms to its intended purpose. These rooms will be further away from the main circulation desk which will make them quieter retreats. In addition the fireplace that is currently covered with a bookshelf will be reopened.

The corresponding rooms on the second floor will become available as reading or meeting rooms as all the material stored therein will be moved to the new children’s area or into other parts of the Library. These rooms are exactly the same size as the two reading rooms on the ground floor.

In addition to the plans and renderings below, there is additional information on the exciting future planned for the Library in the Long Range Plan document.

Floor Plan pdfs:

Basement Floor Plan First Floor Plan



© 2009 The Hotchkiss Library of Sharon | Photos courtesy of Jonathan Doster Photography | Provided by: iNamics