HOGANSVILLE — A new library is officially on the shelf for Hogansville residents after the Troup County Board of Commissioners approved a multimillion dollar construction bid Tuesday.

The more than 11,000 square foot, state-of-the-art library will be an upgrade from the city’s current 3,000 square foot facility, according to Keith Schuermann, regional library director for the Troup-Harris Regional Library System.

“I’m so excited,” he said by phone Tuesday. “We’ve been in planning stages for nearly a year, and it’s going to be so exciting to see something rise out of the ground. The people of Hogansville demanded this, they voted for it and we got SPLOST (special-purpose, local-option sales tax) money for this.”

Schuermann said officials plan to break ground on the $2.36 million library on Oct. 27 and the doors could open by late summer of 2016. The facility will feature computers, tablets that patrons can check out and other technological efficiencies, he said.

“There’s a lot of emerging technology,” Shuermann said. “(Radio frequency identification chips) will be a part of the interior and people will be able to do self-service check out if they choose. It will help us retain items because it’s a theft control as well.”

The library will feature a dedicated teen section, wifi, multipurpose room, kitchen and a children’s area, among other amenities.

The modern design features large glass walls to allow natural light to come in, and a front porch for reading and socializing.

“The design itself, I would say, embraces the community and allows them to actually come inside,” he said. “Our current library is only 3,000 square feet and we suffer from a lack of adequate programming space and sometimes we have to turn kids away. Our mission is service to all, and this new library will have an expanded meeting area and a dedicated teen area.”

Hogan Construction company, based in Norcross, will build the library, and the project is expected to come in under the $2.5 million originally budgeted. Of the cost, $1.79 million comes from SPLOST tax and additional funding was provided by the state government, Schuermann said.

The ground breaking ceremony is scheduled for Oct. 27 at 2 p.m. at the B.C. Granger Memorial Park in Hogansville on College Street. The event is open to the public and Schuermann encourages community members to attend.