Library district plans new sites in Springfield, Strafford

Part of the plan includes a new library branch on Springfield’s downtown square, geared toward a younger crowd with, a media-and-arts theme.

The nontraditional library, according to a district news release, will have an emphasis on CDs, DVDs and Internet access and will have a stage for poetry readings and other performances.

Springfield’s downtown library is expected to be complete in 2008. Officials expect to fund renovations of a downtown storefront with part of the Bert Buhrman Trust, a $1.2 million estate given to the district in 1999. The new branch, estimated at 3,100 square feet, would be Springfield’s fourth library, though a site has not yet been chosen.

The district plans to add a Strafford branch this fall, to be located in a 1,400-square-foot historic building at 100 Pine St. The storefront will be leased from Stonegate Investments LLC, and the Friends of the Library volunteer support group has donated $26,300 for furnishings.

The Route 66-themed Strafford branch will have books, music CDs, DVDs, audio books, daily delivery of items from other branches, high-speed Internet access, fax and photocopy machines, a children’s department, reference books and a small meeting room.

It will serve about 5,700 people in Stafford and a five-mile radius.

The district also announced its plan to relocate the Willard branch library to a 5,130-square-foot concrete block building at the Willard Trailhead of the Frisco Highline Trail.

The new Willard branch will be in partnership with Ozark Greenways – the building begins a six-mile stretch of a 35-mile rail-to-trail that connects Springfield with Bolivar.

Tentative plans call for opening the new location in late December, with a grand opening scheduled for March.

The building will be leased for $1 per year for 15 years. Renovations will be funded through about $90,000 from the Virgil and Mildred Sims Trust.

The relocation is from the current 3,800-square-foot Willard library in a storefront in the East Shopping Center. The lease for that building expires Jan. 1.

Since 2001, the use of the Willard branch has increased 53.6 percent, from 36,533 patron visits to 56,112 visits last year. The number of items checked out increased 27.9 percent in 2005.

This story originally appeared in SBJ’s July 20 free e-news Daily Update. Click here to register.