For Dominique Snyder, enjoyment is winding down with a good book at the end of a busy day as a stay-at-home mom.
Snyder stressed that as a mother who visits public libraries nearly twice a week with her two children — for play time and to check out books to read at home — she sees how acquiring the skill of reading and reciting content at a young age is integral to growth, development, and achievement throughout the course of any person’s life.
“It is very important,” the San Carlos Park resident of four years after moving from Defiance, Ohio, said. “I think that there are so many avenues, having the ability to escape from stress and work…people need to know how to read to work.”
The library for her is the South County Regional Library on Three Oaks Parkway which was closed for 14 months and underwent a renovation project. In the meantime it operated a smaller branch nearby through a collaboration with Lee County’s Parks and Recreation Department.
But now that the project is done and the library re-opened last month, Snyder said she feels there’s no better way to display to her children how important these amenities and the act of reading remains in our time period and to the surrounding communities than by attending the ribbon cutting ceremony Wednesday.
“I mean, they just opened the doors to this place and it’s, it’s welcoming, homey,” Snyder said. “People can come here. They can learn to read. They can read to get away from reality, escape anything.”
More than 50 people attended the ribbon-cutting event led by Lee County Commissioner David Mulicka, joined by other county commissioners, the Village of Estero Mayor Joanne Ribble and Lee County Library System Director Mindi Simon.
Considering Florida has the third-highest percentage of adults who lack basic prose and literacy skills at 19.7% after New York and California, according to the 2025 World Population Review, Snyder said the renovations come at a perfect time. Florida also has the lowest number of public libraries at 2.6 per 100,000 residents.
Simon said the renovations were a long time coming after the building’s first renovation from a bank processing center in 1996. Simon adds that these renovations reflect the growing need for public libraries and the services provided as preexisting infrastructure and equipment became tattered with time.
"We know from calls we received over the last 14 months about when the library is going to open, that there is an active and engaged community here who uses and supports library services.” Simon said. “So, we are here. We are doing outreach, and we continue to meet the needs of those that we serve, including folks that need support with literacy.”
During the ceremony, County Commissioner Cecil Pendergrass stressed how important public libraries are to Lee County's leaders and collaboration with other local systems.
"This shows Lee County's commitment to our library system," Pendergrass said. "We have a great system in Lee County, working with the school district in all the cities where the library(s) sit in."
Mayor Ribble said how wonderful the renovations turned out after mounting anticipation throughout the community.
"What a wonderful building that you did give us," Ribble said. "It is absolutely gorgeous, and I know the community is very excited to get in here and start using it again."
Surpassing $10 million, the project was approved by the Lee County Board of County Commissioners on Sept. 3, 2024, and funded by existing library funds, according to the Lee County Library System.
Interior enhancements include adding approximately 2,000 square feet of public space (without expanding the exterior), expansion of both children’s and teens areas while also dedicating a teen section, adding four new study rooms for a total of six, the creation of shared programming rooms for kids and teens as well as a storytelling/meeting space, and additional storage spaces, especially for children’s programming materials.
Technological advancements include the installation of an Automated Materials Handling (AMH) system to sort returned books while enhancing efficiency, exterior and interior materials return for convenience, and new early learning computers to support early literacy skills in the children’s area.
Other enhancements include:
- Expanded and upgraded restrooms, including two new family restrooms in the children’s area.
- Updated and improved non-fiction in adult areas.
- New ceiling tiles
- New flooring
- Replacement of all public furniture
- Lower shelving improving accessibility
- Refreshed and replaced glass, including four new “solar tubes” for greater brightness and energy efficiency.
- Refreshed landscaping
- Free Wi-Fi
- Largest increases in materials were children’s Spanish which increased by 7,867%—from 9 items to 717—children’s board books increased by 178%, new material increased by 144%, children’s graphic novels increased by 85%, adult graphic novels increased by 50%, and “EZ Readers” increased by 53%, according to Betsy Clayton, Lee County’s communications director.
Snyder said she feels so fortunate to have this asset within her community not only for reading, but also for forging connections.
“We found a sense of community here,” Snyder said. “[While] being new to the area, I didn’t have a lot of friends or friends for my children, so we really appreciate having the mommy and me times [story time] and a safe and judgement free place to come.”
The library is hosting another event this Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to noon, with balloon animals, live steel drum music, face painting, crafts, and giveaways.
The location has resumed its regular schedule: 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Wednesday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Thursday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
For more information, visit South County Regional Library Renovation.
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