Westover citizens can soon lay hands on a lot of new books.

The town held its groundbreaking for the Westover Public Library expansion on Dec. 18. Mayor Mark McLaughlin said he expects the ongoing expansion to be completed within 30 days.

The library, located within the Westover Town Hall, is currently 250 square feet. Once the expansion is complete, the library will double in size to 500 square feet.

McLaughlin said the library will also help citizens by providing wireless Internet access. There will be a computer there for residents to use, but they can also bring their own laptops and access free Internet.

If Westover residents want to read a book the library doesn’t have, that’s no problem. As part of a regional library network, the Westover library can quickly get any book a reader might want.

“There’s a lot of excitement about improving the facility and making it larger,” McLaughlin said. “It’s eagerly anticipated, and (residents) want us to get it done as quick as we can because the library’s closed right now.”

Although the expansion will be completed soon, McLaughlin said it’s actually behind schedule. With the holidays and the recent bad weather, construction has gone much more slowly than planned.

The expansion is essential for the community’s growth, but it has another purpose: to help the council’s work, McLaughin said.

“We use the library every day, even when the library’s closed. We use it at meeting nights and to have extra space to work in,” he said.

While the library won’t be expanded again for a while, the current expansion is being done with future growth in mind.

“As we’re adding space, we’re thinking one or two additions ahead,” McLaughlin said. “How are we going to be able to design additions? And as the years go by and we build a new town hall, what will this facility become?”