The Louisville Free Public Library will reopen its western branch this weekend following a $500,000 remodeling project.The historic location was built in 1908 and was the first free public library in the nation to be fully staffed by African Americans. Included among the renovation projects is the creation of a new reading room for the African American archives, which the library houses.“We’re trying to accomplish several things and one is to make sure that this historic, landmark library lasts another hundred years," says Library Director Craig Buthod. "So we’re making lots of physical repairs and improvements to the building to make sure that it’s water tight, to make sure that it looks right. The physical improvements are significant, but they’re not the only thing.”Other improvements include additional study spaces and new computers. Mayor Greg Fischer Buthod will unveil the updates during a special ceremony on Saturday at 12:30 pm.
