Strafford Branch Library Expanding; Help Needed to Fill Gaps in Unite Collection
Greene County residents who prefer the wide open spaces of Strafford to crowded city life soon will have more room to stretch at the Strafford Branch Library, too. The library will expand this winter.
The branch, in Chestnut Plaza just south of I-44, will add an extra 1,250 square feet by leasing adjoining space, giving it 3,750 square feet for more meeting room space, study rooms and collection space. The library district’s building staff plans to complete the interior.
For more than 30 years, Strafford was one of 23 stops on the bookmobile’s rural routes, says Associate Director Jim Schmidt. “It was so popular and had so many visitors that it was evident that a branch library was needed.”
The current site opened in August 2008 and it has seen a consistent increase in circulation since then, Schmidt says.
“Strafford patrons continue to take full advantage of library services including delivery of items to their home branch,” he says. The public computers and free WiFi are big draws, too.
Strafford Branch Manager Whitney Austin is eager for the expansion.
“Much of our community room use is by individuals or groups of five or less, and we feel like it would be more comfortable for them, and convenient for us, if there were spaces designed for small groups.”
Visitors will see more space for the collection, too.
“Our circulation has been increasing,” she says, “and we want to make sure to accommodate the increased number of items in a way that is still accessible to our community.”
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The Springfield-Greene County Library District has one of the largest collections of the Unite newspaper, a monthly paper for African- American and multi-racial families in southwest Missouri. The publication launched in 1988.
The Library needs your help to fill gaps in its Unite collection. We are looking for issues from August 1989 through October 2010, except issues from the years 1994-1995, and 2005-2009. If you can help, contact Brian in Local History at 616-0544.
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