Brentwood Library Updates Friends Gathering Room

Published on September 12, 2025

BRENTWOOD, Tenn. – Last year, when Lee Boulie first arrived at the John P. Holt Brentwood Library as its new director, she was impressed by the cozy room off the main lobby. She’d spent nearly two decades working in public, academic, and private libraries, but she’d rarely come across places like the Friends of the Brentwood Library Gathering Room, with its fireplace and stylish, if a bit worn, furniture.

“I’ve always known how lucky Brentwood was to have such upscale, comfortable places in its library,” she said. “One of the reasons I wanted this position was because of how special a space the Brentwood Library is.”

A few days later, she learned something even more surprising – the library’s staff, the city’s Library Board, and the Friends of the Brentwood Library had spent the last several years dreaming of making the Friends Gather Room better. They planned to fund those dreams through a generous donation by the late O’Delle Holt.

In 2017, Holt left the city $4.2 million with the request that the city name its library in honor of her late husband, John P. Holt. The city agreed, and they also established the Holt Fund, which allows for 25 percent of the donation to be used for enhancements to the facility.

Early on, everyone agreed to update the aging Friends of the Brentwood Library Gathering Room, but six years later, the momentum on the project had stalled.

“I started, and the Friends Gathering Room was a top priority,” Boulie said.

She had a staff committee form a plan, and Brent Stidham, Brentwood’s Facilities Maintenance Coordinator, said much of the work could be done in-house, saving the city money.

Work started earlier this year on the project, with crews replacing the stained carpet with laminate flooring, painting the walls, and building new display cases and cabinets. The Friends of the Brentwood Library donated $50,000 for high-end furniture, including green fabric and brown leather chairs. The updated room reopened earlier this summer, and it has again become the centerpiece space for the facility.

“We’ve heard only positive feedback from the citizens of Brentwood,” Boulie said. “This was a group effort, and design by such an invested, large group isn’t easy, but I think it’s safe to say the space is beautiful and elevated.”

The Friends Gathering Room is open to all library patrons. For more information on the John P. Holt Brentwood Library, visit https://library.brentwoodtn.gov.