The Cary Memorial Library is a well-known gathering and study space used frequently by Lexington High School students, particularly on its first floor. In the past few years, the first floor has gone through significant renovations.
Students use the first floor, which features a teen room, to study, meet friends, work on group projects, and spend time after school.
“In the afternoon, it’s full of high schoolers,” Executive Director Mary Ann Sorel said. “The renovation has been in the works since July 2024. It was supposed to originally open up in September, and there were delays just based on structural building,” Sorel said.
Despite these setbacks, the redesigned first floor officially reopened in March of 2026.
According to Sorel, the renovation aimed to modernize the library while improving accessibility and flexibility for visitors of all ages. The children’s section received major changes, including lower shelving, updated technology, improved visibility, and new activity spaces.
Although the renovation modernized some spaces and refreshed the children’s section, some LHS students feel the renovation only partially met expectations for the teen space.
The teen space probably got the least amount of change,” Sorel acknowledged.
Despite mixed reactions, students acknowledged several improvements to the redesigned space.
Avani Gupta, a freshman at LHS, described the new first floor as “more comforting and sleek,” adding that the updated design makes her “enjoy going to the library a little more.”
However, Gupta also noted that the teen section feels largely unchanged from before the renovation.
“I knew the children’s section was being completely redesigned, but I also expected the teen section to be redesigned. Instead, it feels almost exactly the same,” Gupta said.
Some students expected a more modern design for the teen area, including different seating arrangements and layouts that could help address overcrowding after school.
“Since that didn’t really happen, the teen section still has the same overall vibe as before,” Gupta said.
Overall, the redesigned first floor achieved many of Cary Library’s goals of modernization and community engagement. While students noted improvements to the library’s general atmosphere, some were left unsatisfied with the minimal changes made to the teen area.