ROYAL PALM BEACH - The village says goodbye Saturday to the county's Royal Palm Beach Branch library -- at least for the next year while while it's being renovated and expanded.

"It kinda stinks," said Alicia Miller of Royal Palm Beach. "I understand that they have to do it, but for a whole year?"

Miller said it is much more convenient for her to visit the Royal Palm Beach branch versus traveling to Wellington.

At 8,000 square feet though the current library is much too small officials said. The renovation will expand the library to 20,000 square feet.

The extra space in the library will include larger meeting rooms, study rooms
and more internet computers, branch manager Debbie McElroy said. The amount of parking spaces will also be doubled. McElroy expects the renovations to be complete by December 2009.

"We're excited to have a nicer building," she said. "We've really outgrown this space; it's way too small. Right now we are looking forward to having more space and having a more updated [facility]."

Besides the Wellington library residents can visit the Okeechobee library, which reopens in November after also undergoing renovations. Additionally, once Okeechobee opens the book mobile will move from that location to Royal Palm Beach where residents can still check out books.