Book lovers rejoice! Nearly sixty years after the bookmobile first visited our island, and forty years after the first Key Biscayne Branch Library opened at the former sales office for Key Colony, we are finally getting a new state-of-the-art library facility.<\/p>\n
And what a library it will be! In addition to a larger collection of books, the facility will feature a studio for audio and video content creation, study rooms, a sensory-friendly play area, a story-telling stage, and plentiful meeting spaces. It will also include a dedicated space for rotating displays by the Key Biscayne Historical Society.<\/p>\n
Thanks to the efforts of so many hardworking volunteers, elected officials, and Village and County staff, groundbreaking ceremonies took place earlier this year, and the new library is expected to open in May of 2027.<\/p>\n
The two-story, 20,000 square-foot facility is being designed to achieve LEED Silver Certification for green building standards, based on factors such as environmental sustainability and energy efficiency. The interior will include a stunning two-level mixed-media public art project by Miami-based artist Alexandra Fields O\u2019Neale that will reflect the natural beauty of the island.<\/p>\n
Katie Petros, who served on the Village Council from 2016 to 2020, recognizes the inherent value of public libraries. \u201cI grew up in a small town in Michigan\u201d she explains, \u201cand I saw how a library expansion project there really activated the community, not just as a place to borrow books but also as a community hub and center.\u201d<\/p>\n
She\u2019s particularly excited about all the flexible new spaces the library will offer. \u201cOur community center is bursting at the seams. I think of the new facility not just as a library but as a community center 2.0.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe land where the library is located is owned by the County,\u201d explains Katie. \u201cThe decision by former director of the Miami-Dade Public Library System Ray Baker to fully fund construction of a new library building was critical to the project\u2019s success.\u201d<\/p>\n
Key Biscayne\u2019s former mayor and current council member Frank Caplan, who has played a pivotal role in the project, describes the new library as a win-win situation. \u201cThe library is a special institution on the Key that people rely on and use. What’s exciting is that we’re going to have a state-of-the art new library that was designed to preserve the beautiful pond, trees and special features of the site.\u201d<\/p>\n
Friends of the Miami-Dade Public Library is offering community members the opportunity to show their support for the new library by purchasing an engraved brick to be installed in the walkway leading up to the library entrance. Proceeds from each $500 brick will support both the Key Biscayne Branch Library as well as the Friends\u2019 broader mission of supporting programs and services across all the County library locations.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Visit\u00a0friendsofmdpl.org<\/a>\u00a0for more information.<\/p>\n