Republic branch library moves to Merchants Park

The Republic branch of the Springfield-Greene County Library, located at 209 U.S. Hwy. 60 West for the past 15 years, closed its doors at that site at 5 p.m. April 28 and relocated to the Merchants Park Shopping Center, 1264 U.S. Hwy. 60 East.

According to a news release from the library, the move to the new location will be complete in early June. Books, shelving and furnishings are being stored in a semi-truck trailer at the new site.

While the interior is being completed, the library staff is using a small meeting room to temporarily allow patrons to pick up and drop off materials.

Temporary hours are 8:30 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday.

The new location includes two meeting rooms, and at 8,000 square feet, is 1,500 square feet larger than the former location.

Jim Schmidt, Republic Branch Library supervisor, said the new library will be closer to the schools, and the space is more efficient.

Annie Busch, director of the Springfield-Greene County Library District, said in the release that the move is the result of the rent at the existing location being increased.

She said the new location will cost less per square foot, plus there is more space and the facility is in a new structure.

(The preceding article originally appeared in the April 16 issue of the SBJ Daily Update, a subscriber-only service.)