New, improved amenities: See inside the newest North Macon library

The library was louder than usual Monday afternoon as leadership from the Middle Georgia Regional Library System gathered with community members to unveil the new Cathy Ivey Community Library.

The new library, which is located off Forsyth Road, will replace the Riverside Branch Library, which closed at the end of July after 50 years of operation.

Jennifer Lautzenheiser, director of MGRL, said the new library has new and improved amenities she hopes will cater to seniors, parents and children who rely on the library.

“We wanted to bring in those active families,” Lautzenhesier said.

Macon library’s host of new features

The new library features a slew of upgraded features that Lautzenheiser said will create a welcoming environment and provide more services to patrons.

The space features a central area for people to gather, an indoor children’s area with books, games and activities to get kids excited about reading, and more shelf space. All of the indoor spaces are dotted with windows and skylights for plenty of natural light.

The new library includes multiple buildings. Among them is a programming building that provides a space for staff to brainstorm and hold events, and makes room for the Friends of the Library — a group of local volunteers who support and raise funds for MGRL.

The new library even features an outdoor garden area for children that’s home to birds, butterflies and native plant species. It also has a performance area for music, storytimes, presentations and more.

“We had visions for a space that we could use inside and outside,” Lautzenheiser said. “And that really took advantage of our climate.”

Lautzenheiser said staff hope the library’s design will bring in families and offer them a myriad of ways to learn and interact with reading.

Honoring a legacy

The Cathy Ivey Community Library sits on a site MGRL has been eyeing for years. Following the closure of MGRL’s library in west Macon, leaders and staff were searching for a new site that could serve that area and north Macon.

The library system eventually landed on 5494 Forsyth Road in 2021. At the time, the lot was occupied by five rundown buildings which had once been home to a daycare.

“They were rough,” Lautzenheiser said. “There were still juice cups everywhere.”

Determined to make something worthwhile for Macon, MGRL leaders moved ahead. They put together a building committee to design a state-of-the-art facility, and the community responded with an outpouring of support and donations.

“This is the library the community built,” Lautzenheiser said.

After nearly four years of work, MGRL announced the new library in March.

Following the Riverside Branch Library’s closure, much of its staff and materials were moved to the new space.

Its name — the Cathy Ivey Community Library — was announced at the end of September. It honors Cathy Ivey, a longtime member of Friends of the Library who also served as the organization’s president during four different decades. She died in April.

“We knew her commitment to libraries and literacy,” Lautzenheiser said. “We couldn’t think of a better way to honor her than this.”