After nine months of construction, the "pardon our mess" signs at the La Crosse Public Library are finally coming down.

Library director Dawn Wacek stopped in studio Monday to preview the grand reopening of the facility on Main Street happening from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday — with tours every hour. The $3.1 million interior renovation covered about 40% of the building's footprint — all funded through a competitive state grant from the Wisconsin Department of Administration’s Flexible Facilities Program. Wacek noted the funding allowed the library to "fast-track" upgrades without hitting local property taxes or the city's day-to-day operating budget.

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The conversation touched on the new "vibe" of the space, which Wacek described as more modern and flexible. One of Wacek’s favorite upgrades are the "Brody chairs" — semi-enclosed private nooks with built-in desks and lighting. Beyond the new seating, the renovation added several specialized areas, including:

• A 100-seat auditorium and classroom space on the main floor.

• An updated "CREATE" maker space for hands-on projects.

• Eight new meeting and study rooms spread across both floors.

• A refreshed public computer area and a second-floor computer lab.

• Two first-floor meeting rooms dedicated to community service access.

• Renovated, more accessible first-floor restrooms.

We also half joked about one thing that didn't make the blueprints: a coffee shop. Wacek explained the "pluses and minuses" of bringing in a cafe partner, noting that while it's a popular request, the risk of a partner going out of business often leads to "wasted space" in public buildings.

Beyond the renovations, we discussed how the library is pivoting to meet people where they are. Wacek highlighted a new pilot program for "library lockers" at the Main branch, where patrons can pick up materials after hours using a keycode. The goal is to eventually expand those kiosks to the north and south ends of the city to provide access even when the physical buildings are closed.

We also got into city budget talks, as the mayor has made it a focus to tackle that early on in the year. With the library making up about 8% of the city’s total budget, Wacek talked about being "at the table" for 2026 planning and the long-term goal of launching a fundraising campaign to modernize the "desperately undersized" children’s, teen, and tween areas.

To wrap up, we went through some of the books currently featured on the library's new "face-out" display shelving, plus looked at some of the stats from library use the past few years and went over the logistics of Wednesday's reopening, which will include guided tours each hour from various library staffers.