GREENWOOD, Ark. — Work in Greenwood continues on the land where a new Sebastian-Scott Regional Library is expected to be built.
At the intersection of Highway 71 and Highway 10 in Greenwood, crews have been leveling the land, preparing it for construction. Sebastian County Administrator Mark Allen said a lot of the shale that had been excavated at the site is being dispersed and repurposed for other projects in Sebastian County.
"People don't get that excited about moving dirt," Sebastian County Library Board Chairman Jim Reynolds said. "I was excited about that because I know that the next step is getting ready to happen."
Approved by the Sebastian County Quorum Court in 2021, the new project is expected to cost around $5 million. Allen said that as of now, the new library is expected to be completed by the middle of next year.
The current regional library located in downtown Greenwood serves the communities surrounding Scott and Sebastian counties. Scott-Sebastian Regional Library Director Rene Myers said they had over 21,000 visitors and over 47,000 item circulations in 2023.
She said the new building comes at a time when the library is seeing an increase in visitors wanting to use their services. She said space at some events has been limited.
"We're currently in a 1965 building with 5,700 square feet," Myers said. "Our spaces where we would have story times and events for our adults are practically just laid in the middle of a collection, and so space is very limited."
Myers said the new building will be almost double the size of the existing library, compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and have community, study rooms, and spaces for children and teens.
She said the new space will still feel like home, especially for those who have frequented the library for years.
"I think our staff is the heart of a library, and whether it be in a 1965 building or a 2024 building, I think they're the ones that make it still feel like that home atmosphere, that customer service, that we give on a daily basis because they need access to information, and we're going to make sure that they get it," Myers said.
Myers said that a public library continues to be an important institution, especially for residents of rural communities.
"A cost of a book just goes up, especially for families with children's books. Those are not cheap at all," Myers said. "This is one place where they don't have to buy them. They can get them, read them, and we'll store them for you, and so I love that we're able to give these resources to these families that may not otherwise have access to them."
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