Poplar Bluff Public Library Master Plan

JLG Architects created a strategic and facilities roadmap to meet the library service needs of a growing, economically diverse community. Evaluate strategic options for key library assets — the historic downtown Main branch, an underused lot on Elm Street across from the Main Library, and the too-small Ridgel branch — to help library leadership prioritize investment, right-size facilities, and build an operational and financial case for future capital decisions.

Library leaders needed to serve a community that was quickly growing to the south, while enhancing services for the downtown anchor Main branch. Staff identified urgent, unmet needs for more efficient workflows and storage, while the Ridgel branch faced long-term capacity constraints in an outdated building. Library leadership needed to weigh multiple site and building scenarios against real operational trade-offs.

JLG Architects worked closely with library leadership to build a strategic plan and take a close, practical look at what each option would mean day-to-day for staff, budgets, and the community: 

Strategic Plan – Created a system-wide plan that gives Poplar Bluff Public Library a shared vision and clear priorities to guide decisions about facilities, services, and staffing. 

Downtown Main Branch – Looked at ways to highlight the building’s historic beauty, increase efficiency, and increase spaces for children and teens. Every option was weighed against the need to protect the branch’s historic character and the community’s connection to it. 

Ridgel Branch – Compared three building options — a remodel/addition, a new two-story building, and a new one-story building — to meet the needs of the fast-growing south side of town. We looked closely at parking and zoning requirements, site conditions, staffing needs (including detailed staffing projections), and accessibility, all while making sure Ridgel stays true to its role as a neighborhood library. 

Growth Projections – Built a model to estimate how visits and library use might grow if Ridgel moves into a new facility, using real usage data from libraries across Missouri to keep the projections grounded and credible. 

The Bigger Picture – Identified the community, fundraising, staffing, and placemaking benefits of each option, so library leadership had a complete and balanced picture. 

Together, the strategic plan and facility analysis equipped library leadership with both a long-term vision and a clear, side-by-side operational comparison to guide site and building decisions for both branches — ensuring investment matched each community’s specific character and growth trajectory while preparing defensible talking points for board and community discussions.