Library’s Board of Trustees Seeking Funding to Enhance Main Library’s Renovation

Press Release

Charleston County Public Library’s (CCPL) Board of Trustees is working to fund a state-of-the-art Main Library in downtown Charleston. The current 104,000-square-foot building, located at 68 Calhoun Street, is scheduled to undergo renovations as part of the referendum-funded capital improvement project approved by voters in 2014. The $108.5 million funded the construction of five new buildings and the renovation of existing facilities, which is currently underway. There is an estimated $9 million available for Main Library’s renovation and the Board of Trustees is seeking additional funds from donations.  

“We are so grateful to County Council and the voters of Charleston County for providing the library system the funding to build new libraries and renovate our existing branches,” said CCPL Board of Trustees Chair Melanie Collins. “Since the Main Library is the last branch to receive renovations, it has been affected in the last eight years. We’ve experienced escalating building costs, and the building’s needs and scope of design needs have changed. We believe downtown Charleston deserves a library mirroring the features and caliber of our new branches like Wando Mount Pleasant or Keith Summey North Charleston.”

The Board recently formed a Fundraising Committee and will spearhead the efforts to raise $12.4 million. This fundraising campaign, titled Project Main, would provide more than $20 million in total for the Main Library’s renovation and construction.

“We feel this desired additional amount will allow us to align the Main Library, which serves as CCPL’s headquarter branch, with the rest of the system,” said Collins.

The funding would help expand and enhance features in the building including:

• Increasing the capacity of historic archives,
• Creating a dedicated area to local genealogy,
• Establishing separate and innovative areas for children, pre-teens and teens, and
• Creating an area dedicated to educational, career and professional development, which would include the appropriate technology.

“The public turned to the library throughout the Pandemic, during its greatest time of need. From utilizing our free Wi-Fi and computers, to receiving assistance in workforce development and job seeking, social service assistance, tackling food insecurity by providing food to children, receiving technology training, and more,” said Collins. “The public depends on us and they deserve a facility that will support those needs.”

For more information, and to learn how you can contribute to the future of Main Library, visit www.ccpl.org/projectmain.

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