After some delays, Lewiston Public Library officials hope to start renovating the children’s department this summer, with the project completed by the end of 2027.

The library initially started talking about its READy to Grow campaign in 2021, according to Library Director Joseph Houston, and planned a kickoff for 2023. However, the effort was delayed a year following the mass shootings in Lewiston.

When the campaign began in October 2024, it saw strong success at the start, getting a quarter of the way to its $1 million goal by November.

But in the past two years, funding for the project slowed, with the department receiving about $100,000 more.

In the time since officials began discussing the project, Houston said, the philanthropy landscape changed. After the last presidential election, many grants disappeared or were in limbo, raising competition for scarce funding.

“It’s been an interesting time,” Houston said.

The money raised will go into three areas: $500,000 for the renovations, $400,000 to improve children’s programming, and $100,000 for efforts to attract new families.

According to the library’s capital campaign, officials have raised $356,737, plus another roughly $150,000 in confirmed commitments.

That puts the library more than halfway to its goal, Houston said, which is enough to fund the renovations. The library expects to put the project out to bid in the next two to three months.

Leaders hope the project will improve the use of the library not only for children but for the rest of the community. The new children’s department will have a “timeless” design to it, Houston said, incorporating elements of nature while exposing young kids to Maine’s outdoor recreational activities.

There are also plans to soften hard angles throughout the space and create reading nooks, with the goal of making the area feel welcoming while offering new ways to cater to kids.

The children’s department reflects older ideas on design, Houston said, noting the new department needs to capture the current era.

Lewiston is home to roughly 7,700 children, who represent 20% of the city’s population, according to the library. As of April 2024, 20% of the children in Lewiston have a library card.

“We bear a tremendous responsibility being in a community that has a lot of poverty, quite a bit of need that increases the importance of this,” Houston said. “It’s heartwarming to come in every day and see small donations from people in the community. The community is looking forward to this, they’re excited about something like this will be theirs.”

Andrew Day is a Lewiston resident who takes his daughter Alon to the children department’s Baby Storytime event every Tuesday. He called the library project “worthwhile.”

“So many children are benefitted in the community by this space,” Day said. “There’s so much new technology to incorporate and make it kid-friendly. This space is used by more than kids; it’s a community staple. This baby time story event held every Tuesday benefits babies and toddlers in so many ways. It’s stories, but it’s also that they’re interacting with different kids, exploring, having a chance to play independently.

“Programs like these are what this community needs, and updating the library will help future generations to come,” he said.

Jacob Escobar and his wife, Nevaeh, moved to Lewiston from Texas with their son Emil in March. The Lewiston library is much bigger than the one they used to go to, they said. They want to make sure the library is a fun environment where children will always want to come back.

“Part of the library and coming to things like baby storytime is almost learning how the world operates through a kid’s eyes,” Escobar said. “Growing up, I loved going to the library. Some of my fondest memories when I was a young kid was when I went to the library and picked out a book and spent hours on end reading. I want that same excitement for all children, especially with Emil. I can’t wait to see what they do.”

Anyone interested in donating to the library’s capital campaign can do so here at https://givebutter.com/DONATE2LPL.