A new library building in Republic is set to open in January, this weekend the Springfield-Greene County Library District, library staff and its community will bid farewell to the old building.
Republic’s branch manager Tysha Shay said the building has been home to the library since 2009. The city has grown by over 4,000 residents since then, almost 30% growth in the last 15 years. The branch is the library district’s busiest outside of Springfield.
“So, with the significant growth that we have seen, we knew at that time, that we needed to grow from the current building that we have into a bigger building, to be able to accommodate more of the amenities that patron that our, our community members wanted.”
Those amenities include more meeting and coworking spaces, a 100-seat auditorium, a business connect center and makerspace. The building will also have dedicated areas for children and teens, and spaces to connect visitors with the outdoors, including an outdoor patio area, and a walking trail with a permanent story walk and musical instruments along the path.
The new building has been under construction adjacent to the old building. Shay said patrons have been able to see their progress, and until recently it's had minimal impact. The latest phase of construction has limited parking and forced the library to close its drive-thru lane, but it will stay open through Saturday.
“We're having our farewell celebration called, ‘See You Later, Alligator,’” Shay explained. “We are hosting our last Storytime in the building, and that will just be out in the branch. We have been letting families, kiddos, patrons, whoever would like to chalk our walls with messages and saying goodbye and things like that. And then at 1130, we'll be having a human book chain where folks can participate in, sort of bucket brigade style, passing some materials from the old branch to the new branch.”
Then they’ll prepare to move into their new building. It will open to limited services January 5, with plans to fully open the new branch in Republic January 20.
Shay praised Paragon Architecture and Nabholz Construction Company for their work on the building and library staff for their patience and effort throughout the process.
She said the old building has been home to the library long enough for some patrons to have grown up visiting. There is nostalgia, but excitement to grow with the rest of the Republic community.
"I think all of us now that the, the end is, is near in just a few days, I think we're all feeling a little bit nostalgic about it.” Shay said. “There are certain things, I think there is a piece of the door frame that staff touch when they go in and out, from like, the workspace to the patron space. So that's something that we've thought about taking so we can put that someplace in our, admin spaces.” Shay said to spite that nostalgia, they’re excited for the move and what they’ll be able to offer in their new building.
The Republic Branch Library’s “See You Later, Alligator” closing events begin with Storytime at 10:30 a.m. this Saturday, followed by a human book chain at 11:30.