The West Tisbury Public Library will host the first in a series of focus groups tonight aimed at gathering community comment on the proposed renovation and expansion of its facility.

Tonight’s focus group, dedicated to parents, tutors and caregivers of children, will meet at 5:30 p.m. at the Howes House, across from Alley’s General Store. Later in the evening, at 7 p.m., the general public is invited to express its views on the proposed library design during a meeting at the same location.

On Tuesday, Nov. 15, the library will hold a focus group at the Howes House dedicated to seniors’ concerns.

“Each age group has its own needs, its own favorite features and spaces in the library,” said library director Beth Kramer. “It makes sense to address them separately, and let each demographic segment focus on the design elements that mean the most to them.”

The West Tisbury library was one of eight libraries in Massachusetts to be approved for a state construction grant in July 2011. The $2.98 million grant will cover half the cost of the expansion plans. The library is in the process of raising $1.5 million in private matching funds.