Panola College's Baker Library is a 31,927-square-foot renovation and addition to an existing building. The Panola Library is the new heart of the campus and a flexible social space. The library includes a cafe, multi-functional conference rooms, four offices, two work rooms, six reading rooms, and a computer lab. The addition wraps around the existing building so that the existing library could continue operation during construction. The program incorporates a one-story gallery space that showcases students work and hosts community events. The project was carefully orchestrated to allow the existing portion of the library to be in continuous operation during construction of the addition.
This project incorporated the complete renovation of the 1965 library and added an addition that more than doubled the size of the library. Librarians state that prior to the renovation and expansion, approximately 600 people visited the library each month. Since the renovation and expansion, the library has averaged approximately 7,800 visits each month!
