FERRIDAY, La. – Construction of additions that will more than double the size of Ferriday’s library should begin this fall and should take about 15 months to complete, said Concordia Parish Librarian Amanda Taylor.

&uot;This will double the size of our stacks and more than double the number of computers that are available to the public, from nine to 20,&uot;&160;Taylor said. &uot;And it will greatly improve the amount of work space we have.&uot;

The project will cost more than $1 million and will be paid back with proceeds from a 10-year, 8.5-mill property tax voters passed last year.

The library, which was built in 1950, is cramped for space. Shelves of books are spaced only inches apart in some rooms, and there is not enough room for all employees to have desks. The current facility is 5,000 square feet; with the addition, it will contain 12,000 square feet.

But the addition will provide a larger area for adult fiction and nonfiction, a room for educational and children’s summer programs and an area where patrons can read newspapers and magazines and use the Internet.

Currently, when the library holds programs for large groups, employees have to vacate the library’s work room, which doubles as a programming room. But the addition will include a new work area for employees.

&uot;We’ll have a bookmobile area, an area for processing any new books that come in, and a desk for the (computer)&160;system administrator, things we don’t have now,&uot; Taylor said.

The library’s current space will be renovated as well.

The current employee work room will become a children’s area with books, a story time space and children’s computers.

The project will also add two new public restrooms; more parking for staff and patrons, including disabled people; and new ramps for the disabled. To lessen inconvenience for patrons, the addition will be completed before existing space is renovated.

The library received plans for project earlier this week from Monroe architect Paul Stewart. The contract should be bid in August or September by the library’s board, Taylor said.