The official grand opening event for the expanded Scenic Regional Library Warrenton branch will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 20.The day kicks off with a brief dedication ceremony starting at 11:30 a.m., which will conclude with a ribbon cutting with the Warrenton Chamber of Commerce.Guest speakers include Warren County Commissioner Dan Hampson, Scenic Regional Library Board of Trustees President John Barry, and Scenic Regional Library Director Steve Campbell. The event will have free hot dogs, chips, drinks and popcorn. There also will be free children’s activities, including air brush tattoos, a bounce house, and a balloon artist. Mike Thomas, host of “Livewire” on KTUI, will broadcast live from the event, as well as provide music.The branch is already open to the public.The original building for the Warrenton branch was built in 2001. It was expanded from 9,000 square feet to 12,000 square feet and completely renovated. The addition includes a large public meeting room which seats over 100 people, a large shaded children’s patio, adult café area, fireplace, self-check system, an Xbox One for teen gaming, and children’s area with a 55-inch touch screen tablet with literacy games, a magnet wall, Lego table, and other activities. Parking was doubled from 40 to 80 spaces.Scenic Regional Library serves Gasconade, Warren, and Franklin counties, as well as the Sullivan portion of Crawford County.The newly expanded Warrenton branch is part of a $22 million building project for the library that was made possible by a tax increase in April 2014, the first in the library’s 55-year history. When complete, the building project will have included seven completely new facilities and two additions and renovations. Overall, the library will double its square footage system-wide from 44,000 to 88,000 square feet.

Finishing touches are being made to the Scenic Regional Library in Warrenton in preparation for its Thursday, Oct. 4 re-opening. The library was expanded and renovated. 

Record photo/Kate Miller