NATCHEZ — The Board of Trustees of the Judge George W. Armstrong Library withdrew a proposal for a bronze statue at the library entrance during a meeting Monday after receiving pushback from Friends of the Library and community members.

The board also agreed on a compromise for their plans for a John Neil Varnell memorial.

Varnell — who died in March — was a Friends of the Library member and made considerable donations to the library and other Natchez charities in his will.

In his honor, library director Pamela Plummer and the Board of Trustees discussed possibly purchasing a bronze statue of a girl reading on a bench near the library entrance. However, the board unanimously agreed to exchange their plans for a plaque with Varnell’s image on it to go inside of the library instead to be able to put the donations to further use.

Plummer said the board also plans to renovate the front stairwell and the back door, paint walls, replace carpet and furnish the library with safe and sturdy tables and chairs.

“My recommendation would be — after everything is completed — that we put a plaque at the entrance coming in the library or somewhere coming into the building where everyone would see it coming in,” Plummer said during Monday’s meeting. “… I have no problem with placing it inside, and it would be protected from the weather. I could try to find a picture and maybe have an image of him on the plaque.”

Board member Cherish McCallum said the goal of the renovation is to make the library safe and welcoming for all its patrons.

“We’re trying to make sure that the library is accessible to everyone by making sure that the furniture and equipment are safe and durable and that the whole experience is efficient for all who come,” McCallum said.