Though Tanvi Narendrula, junior, usually spends her summers volunteering at the Samuel C. Sachs branch of the St. Louis County Library, this summer, she will have to make other plans. 

The Samuel C. Sachs branch located on Burkhardt Place in Chesterfield began undergoing renovations on Jan. 31, 2026 due to a $1 million donation by the Jaffe family. The new branch will be 20,700 square feet, about 5,000 square feet larger than the current branch, and will include additional features such as a coffee shop in partnership with Goshen Coffee Roasters, children’s space, reading garden and more study rooms. 

The branch will be renamed to the Guy and Judy Jaffe branch as per request of the Jaffe family and is expected to open in 2027, about 15-18 months after the beginning of construction. 

Narendrula has been volunteering at the branch for the past four years, often helping out with educating library visitors about the Summer Reading Program hosted by the St. Louis County Library. 

“I’m happy that they are extending the area but it’s also kind of sad that we’re losing the essence of the library that we knew before,” Narendrula said. 

Narendrula said she didn’t think the library needed an update, but said she’s glad the renovations are happening as they include making a bigger parking lot, which brings in more visitors to the library. She also said the new library may allow for increased opportunities for volunteers. 

Currently, volunteers at the Sachs branch are all being reassigned to the Daniel Boone branch located on Clarkson Road in Ellisville. 

During the construction, any regular visitors can access the Daniel Boone, Throne Hill, and Grand Glaize branches of the St. Louis County Library, as they are all relatively short commutes for people who live near the Sachs branch and can be easily accessed during the year and a half of construction.  

Ritesh Gouni, sophomore, also volunteers at the Sachs branch, and said he enjoys assisting with the Summer Reading Program. However, whenever Gouni needs to study for school or meet up with friends, he prefers going to the Daniel Boone branch for its close proximity to Chick-Fil-A and number of available study rooms. 

“Right now, Daniel Boone is a lot more renovated and has a lot more of a community feel than Sachs,” Gouni said. 

However, with the new renovations expected from the Sachs branch, Gouni said he may find himself there more. 

Gouni said investing in public libraries is worth it, especially with the Sachs branch’s addition of more private study rooms. He said that renovations tailored toward younger generations will make him and his friends feel more inclined to visit the library. 

Brittany Sharitz, librarian, said she is especially excited about the renovations, as she feels the Sachs branch is overdue for a change. 

“I do think that libraries need to evolve to meet the needs of their users,” Sharitz said. “It was one of the smaller locations that I’ve been to and I think a lot of the designated rooms that they have planned will make better community spaces which is what a lot of the St. Louis County Libraries have evolved into.” 

However, Sharitz said the renaming of the branch may be slightly controversial regarding the Sachs family. 

“You obviously want to honor people’s contributions but it makes me wonder if there’s still a way to honor the past,” Sharitz said. “We don’t always want to erase history.” 

With teen input, Sharitz said she hopes that the new library will be a welcoming space for students who are learning how to utilize libraries before they go off to college. 

“I hope it just shows them that libraries are not a thing in the past,” Sharitz said. “Whereas the Marquette library is really focused on our students, the Sachs now Jaffe library is very focused on Chesterfield, and Chesterfield is really an evolving and growing community. I’m excited that the students see themselves as part of that space and they’ll be utilizing it with the whole community.” 

Cheri Remington, manager of the Sachs branch, said the reason for building a completely new library is that Chesterfield is experiencing exponential growth due to new housing.

“The branch was already one of the busiest in the system and one of the smallest buildings,” Remington said. “The building itself was not going to be large enough to accommodate sources to support the community.” 

Remington is excited for the branch to reopen next summer with its new features that allow visitors plenty of space to study and hangout.

“I think they’re going to love the new branch,” Remington said. “I think that they are kind of sad to be saying goodbye to the one that’s there because it has served them well. It was a wonderful space, a lot of good light inside, and nice energy in the building. But, I think the new building is going to surpass it.” 

This story was originally published on Marquette Messenger on April 24, 2026.