Library building closing in on one year of operation
The sounds of a children’s song in Spanish echoed through the children’s area Friday morning. The kids huddled around a John Brown University student, sang along and recited letters they had learned over the previous weeks in a classroom tucked in behind rows of brightly illustrated books and touchscreen computers with colorful keyboards.
Rebecca Melton’s class of four that day was down from the eight class members who normally attended the steadily growing class. Melton is a JBU student who is double majoring in International Business and Spanish. She teaches the Siloam Springs Library’s first bilingual preschool program as part of an internship.
“I, myself, wish my library at home did more stuff like this,” Melton said.
Melton began teaching the class this semester, because even just one year ago it would not have been possible.
Tuesday, March 7, marks one year in the new library building for Siloam Springs. The $4.7 million, 18,500-square-foot building is three times the size of the previous building, which is currently being refitted to become the Parks and Recreation Department office.
“It’s worked out very well for us,” said Library Manager Dolores Deuel.
Statistics from the library show a 59 percent increase in people visiting the library over the past year. The library has also seen a 61 percent increase in program attendance, a 45 percent increase in computer use and a 31 percent increase in check-outs.
The extra space has allowed the library’s staff to expand its offerings, including more space for books, DVDs and large print