SUN PRAIRIE PUBLIC LIBRARY TO HOLD RIBBON CUTTING CEREMONY

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – May 4, 2026
Svetha Hetzler
Director, Sun Prairie Public Library 
shetzler@cityofsunprairie.com
(608) 825-0900
 
SUN PRAIRIE, Wis. — The Sun Prairie Public Library recently completed a 23-month expansion and  renovation project, adding 28,000 square feet to the existing library. To celebrate this milestone  achievement, we invite the community to join us for an official ribbon cutting ceremony on Friday, May 
29, 2026 at 8:30 a.m. with special guest speaker, Sam Helmick, President of the American Library 
Association.

Highlights of the project include the addition of a larger youth services area, a dedicated teen space, an 
aquarium, an outdoor amphitheater, a state-of-the-art makerspace, and an atrium. The building was 
recognized as a Dane County Climate Champion and is seeking LEED silver certification. 

The renovation includes more accessible space for the adult collection, five study rooms, an updated 
holds and self-check-out space, a reconfigured Welcome Desk, a drive-up window and outdoor lockers 
for holds pick up, technology upgrades throughout, an expanded Friends of the Library Read Before 
Bookstore, and accessibility, furniture, and flooring enhancements to the Sun Prairie Media Center. 

End-of-life mechanical systems were replaced with a geothermal HVAC, new roof with solar photovoltaic 
panels, a battery-energy-storage-system and microgrid, and LED lighting throughout. Sustainability 
features including bike racks, prairie gardens, and electric vehicle charging stations were also added 
Although the construction itself began in June 2024, planning for the expansion began in earnest in 2018 
with FEH Design. The process was community driven and started with an architectural analysis, with an 
advisory task force comprised of more than 50 residents. Between 2019 and 2022, the Sun Prairie Public 
Library held several engagement sessions open to the entire community which led to a conceptual 
design. The conceptual design was the basis for the final design. 

The final design process began in 2023 along with a $3.5M capital campaign led by the Sun Prairie Public Library Foundation. The capital campaign was successfully completed in 2025 and included several naming opportunities which can be found throughout the library. 

“Library projects of this scale are a once in a generation project and reflect evolving public library services and response to community needs and growth,” said Svetha Hetzler, Sun Prairie Public Library 
Director. “We went into this project with community aspirations, public library services, and sustainability in mind. These goals were the basis of the architectural design and construction. Throughout the process we have remained committed to our mission – to serve as an accessible central hub by supporting lifelong learning and literacy. Our vision is to serve as a dynamic, positive community force connecting all to the world of ideas, information, and discovery in a safe, welcoming space where everyone feels they belong, and this project reflects the library’s mission and vision today and for the next generation.”

The ribbon cutting ceremony will be hosted by the Sun Prairie Public Library Foundation. Following the 
ceremony, attendees are invited to gather in the atrium and community room for refreshments and tour 
the new and renovated spaces. For more information visit www.sunlibfoundation.org/events.
 
About City of Sun Prairie
Sun Prairie is a vibrant and thriving community located in northeastern Dane County, just east of the 
City of Madison. The City of Sun Prairie has experienced strong population growth since its incorporation 
from a village to a city in 1958, undergoing a transformation from a relatively small community of less 
than 4,000 to an estimated 39,419 today.