A New Chapter Begins
A rendering of the future Butler County Public Library shows the modern facility that will soon serve the community with expanded space, meeting rooms, study areas, and a dedicated GED testing site. PHOTO | Submitted
Story and pictures by Beverly Bonilla
This past Friday, June 13, will forever be remembered as a wonderful day in Butler County. No matter if it was pouring down rain or not it didn’t stop the community from coming together at the corner of East Morrison Street and North Main Street for the monumental groundbreaking ceremony of the new Butler County Public Library.
Rain couldn’t stop the celebration as community members, officials, and future readers came together to launch a new chapter for the Butler County Public Library. PHOTO | Beverly Bonilla, Jobe Publishing
Just after 10:00 a.m. the first shovels were used by Butler County Public Library Director, Kenna Martin and the Library Board of Trustees, Naomi Lucas, Connie Embry, Sarah Duncan, Cody Henderson, Christy Havens followed by our elected officials Mayor Billy Phelps and Judge Executive Tim Flener, next to join was Monica Sumner with the architect firm Brandsetter Carroll Inc, Chris Biscoff Regional Consultant with KDLA and Matt Gumm with Alliance. The last to join were some of the children in the community who frequently visit the library. They were able to join in and get a shovel full of dirt and toss it, some wanted to do it a few extra times. These children can come back 20 years from now and remember this special event that they were so lucky to be a part of.
Community leaders, library board members, and local children take part in the ceremonial groundbreaking for the new Butler County Public Library on June 13, 2025—marking the beginning of an exciting new chapter for the county. PHOTO | Beverly Bonilla, Jobe Publishing
Funding for this new facility is provided by the Commonwealth of Kentucky through the Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives (KDLA) and the citizens of Butler County. Kenna Martin stated that they have been working on this grant for around 4 to 5 years and that this should take about a year to build. The new library will be a bigger space, meeting rooms, study rooms, and a space designated with tools to spark creativity and resources. Working with Butler County Superintendent, Robert Tuck and Butler County Adult Education there will now be a new GED testing site at the new facility. They have already started the application process for training and certifications to make this possible by the time the building is finished. In Butler County residents can only come to the Butler County Adult Education building to get help preparing for their GED but then they always must go to Bowling Green or elsewhere to take their GED test, now with this new testing site this can happen here in Butler County. Between 82% of people between the age of 25 and up have their high school diploma and having this new testing site will help keep those numbers on the rise and this is a way that the library can help support the community in doing so.
Butler County Public Library Director Kenna Martin stands alongside former Director Sibyl K. Givens during the groundbreaking ceremony for the new library facility—a moment that honors both past leadership and the future of literacy in the community. PHOTO | Beverly Bonilla, Jobe Publishing
A huge thank you to the former owners of the property that the library will sit on, Mr. and Mrs. Don Eberman. This property has been in their family for over 100 years. If it was not for them then this new facility may not have happened.
If you are not a member of the Butler County Public Library, you can come see them at 116 West Ohio Street or call 270-526-4722. Come by and checkout a new program they have going on at the library, free fishing poles. Kids 18 years and under can come check out fishing poles for up to 3 weeks at a time and tackle boxes are also available with each pole checkout.
