SPRINGFIELD—Springfield Public Library got a makeover and celebrated its reopening last Friday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony in the morning and a drop-in celebration in the evening. Children ran a scavenger hunt, looking for all the new changes, while their parents entered raffles for different prize baskets.
Volunteers brought sweet treats and Nothing Bundt Cakes donated 100 cakes for the occasion. Guests snacked as they perused every section, which differed from how the public left it only a month ago.
“The library has been outgrowing its space for quite a while, and this was an opportunity to see what we could do with our current space to make it more efficient,” said Carrie Schindele-Cupples, library manager.
The first change visitors may notice when walking in is the service desk. It has been minimized and modernized. According to Emily David, director of the Springfield Public Library and History Museum, the new desk is built to be more efficient for staff members and the public.
The service desk in the Kids and Tweens section is also smaller, allowing the play and learn center to expand.
Another significant change in the Kids and Tweens area is removing “the shortcut,” a path previously connecting the space to the Teens section. A wall was added to rearrange the bookcases in the Kids and Tweens section. The aisles are now continuous and allow for better accessibility.
“The first day we had it like this, someone in a wheelchair said, ‘This is so much better.’ So accessibility-wise, it’s been really good,” David said.
The Teens and Media sections were swapped, moving teens to the front of the library. The new Teens area was designed by Cara Kinsey, the librarian for teen and young adult services. The space can accommodate more groups, with one side for studying and the other perfect for hanging out.
With noise-absorbing panels along the wall and several bookshelves in between, Kinsey could talk with a teen “in a normal speaking voice without annoying the two teens who are doing homework in another part of the teen area,” she said.
Across the walkway, the store run by The Friends of the Public Library and History Museum has moved into what was once David’s office. With the office removed, the space is much more open, allowing the store to triple, according to Carrie Schindele-Cupples, library manager.
David said the store typically raises about $20,000 a year for the library, adding that within the first week of reopening, they sold more than they usually do in a month.
The library also heard the public’s request for more meeting rooms, and three have been added in the adult fiction area for public use. Reservations are required and can be made online or by talking to a staff member.
Changes were also made in the back rooms, where all the magic happens. The library “pushed through to the city manager’s offices,” David said, meaning that staff members have a larger workspace. There’s more elbow room for doctoring up books, checking them in, and all the pieces that go into running a library.
Unfortunately, David said, the library is still waiting on a furniture shipment, so guests will have to visit again to see the final vision.
Planning began for the remodel about two years ago, and building began “in earnest” in the spring, Schindele-Cupples said. She added that roughly 50 volunteers and employees had pitched in to make the remodel by the end of it.
Schindele-Cupples said the project was funded by the American Recovery Plan Act (ARPA). According to David, ARPA is funding meant to help cities recover from the pandemic, and Springfield used it for facility maintenance.
This funding improved three facilities: the library, the city council chamber, and the city manager’s office.
While all three changes benefit the public, David advocated for the library project as a change that would have a more direct impact on the community, and Sean VanGordon, Springfield’s mayor, was happy to oblige.
“This remodel allowed us to reimagine our library to meet the needs of our growing community better,” VanGordan said. “It wasn’t just about expanding space—it was about investing in one of the city’s most friendly and welcoming places, making it more accessible and functional for everyone.”