Library launches The Edge, eyes levy increase

The Midtown-Carnegie Branch of the Springfield-Greene County Library District soon will include a community technology center known as The Edge, financed by $220,037 from the U.S. Office of Voca-tional and Adult Education.

Also, the library district board has approved placing a tax levy of 5 cents per $100 assessed valuation on the April 2002 ballot, pending public support for the issue.

On The Edge

Library Executive Director Annie Busch said The Edge will have as many as 20 new computers as well as printers, projectors, videoconferencing equipment, digital cameras and other equipment.

The Edge will be located in the west wing of the lower level of the Midtown branch at 397 E. Central St. Busch said the federal grant allows the library to work with a variety of community groups that are interested in education and technology, such as the Boys & Girls Club, the University of Missouri Out-reach and Extension, Spring-field Public Schools and Ozark Technical Community Col-lege's Adult Basic Education program.

Serving as an after-school tu-toring and homework center for local students will be a major function of The Edge the Midtown Branch sees lots of kids from nearby schools but Busch noted that the technology center will provide services to people of all ages.

"We think there's a huge opportunity here to improve our population's skills in those areas not only how to use technology, but how to access electronic information and use it to their benefit," Busch said, noting that a large portion of the training offered at The Edge will be dedicated to instruction about using online services.

At present, Busch said, the library offers hands-on computer and technology instruction exclusively at the Library Cen-ter, 4653 S. Campbell Ave. Programs are held at other branches, but those are limited to overviews and using projectors to walk participants through processes. The Edge will offer hands-on training in many different programs, in-cluding QuickBooks Pro and small-business training sessions.

"It's not just for low-income (and) it's not just for kids. It's an opportunity for anyone who has a need to participate in some of these things," Busch said.

The library also has received a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Library Foun-dation, that will provide Spanish-language computers and keyboards.

Tax levy issue

Busch said the library system has been fortunate that most of its new computers have been paid for with grant money. But the system has other needs to meet as well.

To that end, the Springfield-Greene County Library District Board of Directors voted Sept. 18 to put a tax levy of 5 cents per $100 assessed valuation on the April 2002 ballot, provided that a community survey planned for the first week of January indicates that the public will support the issue.

Busch said surveys of library-user focus groups had indicated a desire for more books, more hours, more technology and larger facilities on the north-side of town, and a June survey that branched beyond just library users indicated that members of the community, both library users and others, were supportive of adding those things to the system.

Still, the board deemed it necessary to do another community survey in the first part of January 2002.

"In the interim between June and now, things have happened the economy, Sept. 11, all of that which makes us all feel a little less stable. Knowing that we can't predict what will happen after the first of the year, the board felt like we should take a look at about how people feel then, prior to the time when we have to file the certification for the election," Busch said.

The tax levy would enable the library to meet those other needs, with a new north-side branch chief among them. Busch said the new branch would replace the 9,600-square-foot Kearney Branch library at 630 W. Kearney St.

"It's not adequate for that growing population. Northern Springfield is really starting to boom, and with additional infrastructure improvements, it's going to grow even more, and 9,600 square feet just won't be able to meet the demand," she added. Busch said what the board would like to put in on the north side is a 30,000-square-foot destination library similar to the Library Center, with a drive-up window, food service, additional meeting space and a computer lab.