Ground broken on $8.9 million Republic Library

By: 
Steve Chapman

Community leaders and guests who took part in the Jan. 16 groundbreaking ceremony gather for a group photo. Front row (from the left): JoJo Morales, 5, and her sister Cat, 7. Back row: Tysha Shay, Republic Library Branch manager; Shirley Lawler, Friends of the Library president; Jared Younglove, Paragon Architecture; Wes Breeden, Nabholz Construction; Macy Mitchell, Republic Chamber of Commerce director; Stacey Penney, Springfield-Greene County Board of Trustees president; Ed Walton, executive director; Bob Dixon, Greene County Presiding commissioner and Eric Franklin, Republic mayor. (Photo submitted)

This artist’s rendering shows what the new Republic Library Branch will look like when complete. (Image submitted)
 

Current library to be razed for parking lot; project expected to wrap in spring of 2026
The Springfield-Greene County Library District celebrated the beginning of the construction of their new branch building in Republic with a groundbreaking ceremony at the current Republic branch, 921 North Lindsey Avenue, on Thursday, Jan. 16.
Current Republic branch to remain in use while new one built
According to a press release from the district, the new building will cost $8,912,416, half of which will be reimbursed through American Rescue Plan Act funds. The remaining cost will be paid for through fundraising efforts.
Construction of the new building is expected to last 14 months, and the district said in their press release that they expect it to open in the spring of 2026.
Vickie Hicks, community relations director for the district, said that the public can still continue to use the present building while the new one is being built.
“The current branch will remain open while the construction takes place,” she said, “and then later be demolished to create more parking. We plan to involve the community when it’s time to move the books from the old location to the new one.”
Hicks also said that anybody who would like to make a financial contribution towards the construction of the new library building should contact Bridget Dierks, director of institutional advancement, at bridgetd@thelibrary.org.
New library building will be twice the size of current facility
Tysha Shay, the Republic library branch manager, also spoke during the ceremony.
“As a community has grown, it became evident that a newer, larger facility was needed,” she said, and so we’re excited to break ground on a new facility that will serve the Republic community in new ways. Over the years, we have been so much more than just books to our community. We have provided the community with access to the latest technology, meeting spaces, fantastic story times, book discussions, summer performers, and other programs.”
Shay said that the new branch would be 22,000 square feet in size, adding that would be more than twice the size of the current building. With the new location, she said, the library would be able to offer the community new and expanded services.
“We’re going to be able to offer a business center with various-sized meeting rooms with video teleconferencing equipment,” she said, “and we will have modern co-working spaces, a large community room that’ll be available for community and library use. We’ll also have a maker space and specially trained staff to help business owners with resources. We’re also going to have a bigger children’s department, which is very exciting with a dedicated story time area, and an adjoining teen room. And then outdoors, we’ll have a large patio and a nature walking trail, and then hopefully, a play space for the kiddos out there.”
Libraries still relevant in today’s society
Ed Walton, executive director of the district, was one of the speakers during the ceremony. In his speech, he told the guests that while some people think that libraries have become obsolete in the digital era, libraries are still very much a vital part of any community.
“The truth about libraries is far removed from those assumptions,” he said. “Last year, almost 1.2 million people visited a library in the Springfield-Greene County Library District … (and) the library district loaned over 2 million physical items. So, if you want to put that into a little bit of perspective, we loaned 680,000 digital items …  (but we also loaned) more than three times the number of print items than we did digital. So, while digital content is impacting our world, print has not gone away.”
Walton also said that while digital and computerized items are very important in today’s society, people also need to be able to socialize with one another, and libraries are a place where that can happen, which allows them to continue to be relevant in the face of ever-evolving technologies.
“The question that we must ask ourselves is, why do libraries continue to exist and thrive in the midst of a digital age?” he said. “Why are we thriving? What makes libraries resilient, lasting, and to some extent, timeless? The frequently overlooked (factor) in the digital revolution is humans. We’re humans, and we need connectivity. The library is a place where that connectivity happens. In addition to libraries providing access to information, the library is a place where we build community.”

 

Category:

Lawrence County Record

312 S. Hickory St.
Mt. Vernon, MO, 65712
www.lawrencecountyrecord.com

Facebook

Please Login for Premium Content