New Republic Library hosts grand opening

The newly constructed Republic Library held its grand opening on Monday, June 1, officially opening up the library as well as its services to the public. The branch had previously held a soft opening in February but after finally completing all construction they held an opening ceremony. 

This new library was built next to the previous one which had become too small for the growing city, according to Tysha Shay, branch manager for the location. The big-ticket item in this new building, which was not available until today is the auditorium, she said. The new Friends of the Library Auditorium was decorated with exhibits portraying the history of Republic and welcomed a hefty crowd of officials and citizens alike. The auditorium will be available for use to organizations as well as the average citizen. 


“It’s just pretty surreal that this day that we’ve been talking about or a very long time has finally happened,” said Shay. “It’s finally here and we’re really raring to go for our community.” 

The new library also has what is described as a maker space, an area which provides the public with various tools that they may need but cannot access elsewhere, such as 3D printers. 

The library also features a dedicated outdoor space for play and relaxation with a blue and green turfed area for children, shown at left. (Photo by Ethan Gray)