Libraries  Ever Growing to meet the needs of their communities.	Between the Lions
	Ford recently released its newest vehicle, the Excursion, and people stood in line to purchase one. Why? Because it was BIGGER. Hershey unveiled a new Hershey Bar. What was the improvement? 33% BIGGER. Ball Park Franks are the number one selling hot dogs in the country. Why? Because they plump when you cook ‘em. They get BIGGER. So it is, it would seem, with libraries. They are growing and getting BIGGER. In an effort to better serve an expanding public, many area libraries have outgrown themselves. They are being forced to find ways to expand their facilities to meet the needs of a growing patron base. More and more people are using the library and with that increase in patron traffic comes a very basic problem: more space is needed to accommodate the public. Some area libraries are adding space to an already existing structure. Others have torn the old down and are building something completely new. No matter what the approach, the effect remains the same: Libraries are growing BIGGER. Hoover Public Library The Hoover Public Library began as a humble notion among several concerned citizens in the spring of 1983 and has now become one of the largest and most impressive public libraries in the county. First located in the River Oaks Shopping Center, the library was soon moved to the Municipal Building, where it patiently waited for a home of it’s own. That home was built in 1992 across the street from the Municipal Building and the public marveled at the expansive and impressive structure. Little did planners know, the immense popularity of this public facility would demand further growth less than 5 years after completion. Now well under way, the new addition will add over 35,000 square feet to the existing structure, and make the entire building over 80,000 square feet. Areas in the ‘old’ building will be reassigned and additional space will be made for a new ‘Mystery Room’ to house mystery and suspense novels; a new Young Adult area near the entrance; a used bookstore staffed by Friends of the Hoover Library; an expanded Business area with emphasis in family law and general business; a Theatre Box Office; enhanced Youth Department; and increased Technology, with a training center and added internet access in each department. Funded by the City of Hoover, this expansion project is due to be completed in January 2001 and area citizens anxiously await the chance to make use of this popular city feature. Emmet O’Neal Library (Mountain Brook Public Library) Born in 1964 through generous donations by the O’Neal family and area citizens, the Emmet O’Neal Library was proud to open it’s doors with a facility capable of housing 10,000 books. Remodeled five times since 1964, the original structure has now been torn down and in its place a new, $7.75 million building is being erected. Unlike other public libraries’ expansion projects in the area, most of the cost of the new building has been raised through private donations. The City of Mountain Brook donated $1.5 million, but the remaining balance has been raised through the Mountain Brook Library Foundation. A host of concerned citizens have worked tirelessly to raise the funds needed to construct the 38,000 square foot facility, and are anxiously awaiting the grand opening, tentatively scheduled for March 2001. The new facility will be home to over 110,000 books and 4000 videos, book cassettes and CD’s. The children’s area will be three times the size of the previous area and will feature a meeting room, reading nooks, children’s computers and study carrels. The upper level will house an expanded business section, private conference rooms, reference materials and adult services. Mountain Brook citizens are currently using a temporary library location in Brookwood Village Mall, which is capable of housing only 10% of the libraries’ collection. Needless to say, Emmet O’Neal library patrons will be happy to see the new facility open it’s doors in the spring of 2001, so that they can have their wonderful library back in full working order! West End Branch Library (a Birmingham Public Library)  An architect has not been chosen, but excitement is high in the West End community, as plans have been announced to build a new library on the corner of Tuscaloosa Avenue and 14th Street, on the site of the old Masonic Building. A sparkling new, 8,000 square foot facility will serve this area with expanded computer capabilities, an enlarged Reference collection, and a meeting room for library programming and civic use. Choosing to build the library at an entirely new location means that this much-loved community mainstay can stay operational during the construction process. West End patrons have a right to be excited- they’re growing, but won’t have to suffer a lot of the growing pains of being up-rooted and inconvenienced. Five Points West Branch Library (a Birmingham Public Library) Approval is pending for the schematic design of the new Five Points West Regional Library. A branch of the Birmingham Public Library, Five Points West has faithfully served the western community for more that 17 years, beginning its service prior to that as the old Central Park Library. Because of its heavily populated location, Five Points West finds itself serving some 35-40 K-12 schools, as well as area colleges like Birmingham Southern, Lawson State, Miles, and UAB. There is high demand for adult fiction and non-fiction and this library makes reference acquisitions a high priority.  With a non-circulating and highly frequented Black History and Religion section, Five Points West serves almost 25,000 patrons each month. Expansion of this facility is a natural step forward.  Plans to expand will place the library in a new Municipal Complex, composed of the library, a fitness center for city employees, a training facility for the Fire Department, and a parking and refueling area for city owned vehicles. The library will be in a remodeled storefront and will be just less than 35,000 square feet. Additions will include an enclosed computer room, a separate Young Adult area, a children’s programming area, conference and meeting rooms and a wall to honor neighborhood leaders. Plans also include a new feature- self checkout- for those who wish to check out their own materials. Five Points West citizens have long known the value of a good library. Now they will have more to love! The fact that our libraries are growing is an excellent sign. People still recognize the value of the printed word, whether reading it on a computer screen or from the pages of a book. Libraries continue to remain an important part of the community and are running to keep up with the demands of their public. Several community libraries, like Trussville and Botanical Gardens, are enjoying the fruits of expansion projects already completed and they can attest to the fact that ‘if you build it, they will come’. Let’s hope that never changes, that the patrons just keep coming and libraries keep growing and growing and growing!	The Birmingham Public Library is partnering with JCCEO Birmingham Area Head Start Centers and Alabama Public Television to promote family literacy. The Literacy Branch is one of 20 libraries in the nation awarded a grant to participate in the "Between the Lions" outreach campaign. "Between the Lions" is a daily 30-minute program that airs on Alabama Public Television. This new series is named for a family of lions – Theo, Cleo, Lionel, and Leona – who run a library like no other on earth. The doors "between the lions" swing open to reveal a magical place where characters pop off the pages of books, vowels sing, and words take on a life of their own. The series combines innovative puppetry, animation, live action, and music to achieve its educational mission of helping young children learn to read. Developed with literacy experts across the country, the curriculum also emphasizes the value and pleasures of reading. The Birmingham Public Library staff will visit Head Start classrooms to present storytimes featuring "Between the Lions" characters. In addition, children will be encouraged to register for library cards and to visit their neighborhood library. Literacy Branch staff will also present a parent workshop in conjunction with Head Start’s monthly parent meetings. Workshop topics will include how to read to children, how to select age appropriate books, and how to take advantage of library programs and materials. In addition, Alabama Public Television’s Ready to Learn coordinators will provide training for the Head Start teachers and instructors. "Between the Lions" is another example of Birmingham Public Library’s strong commitment to family literacy programming and community outreach. For more information about ""Between the Lions" go to its web site at http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/lions/.
		Wild Card
		During the 1999-2000 school year the Birmingham Public Library, in partnership with Birmingham City Schools, initiated the WILD (Walking in Library Doors) Card project to target middle and high schools students. Librarians from local public libraries visited schools to promote the rich resources available to students — resources including books, videos, audio tapes, CDs, free internet access, special programs for all ages, county-wide access, and online magazines and encyclopedias. The librarians invited the students to fill out a WILD Card application. Most of the students took them up on the offer and a couple of weeks later received their new cards at school. The librarians in the Birmingham Public Library branches found that even more important than making it easy to obtain a library card is giving students a personal invitation to visit their local branch library. Students met face to face with the person who really wants them to visit the library and who will help them when they do "walk in library doors." Due to the success of this literacy outreach project in Birmingham, WTTO and Pepsi have partnered with the Jefferson County Library Cooperative to sponsor the WILD Card program in all Jefferson County public libraries. Every library in Jefferson County will have WILD Card applications. Students may just "walk in library doors" and complete a library card application today. Remember, if you already have a library card, you still have a personal invitation to visit of any of the 41 public libraries in Jefferson County. In addition to being able to walk in the physical doors of the library, you may use your Jefferson County library card to enter the doors to the Alabama Virtual Library (AVL). The AVL is a rich resource available to any Jefferson County public library cardholder. Tune in to WTTO and catch the WILD Card advertisements. We extend a special thank you to Pepsi for helping us share the message of the multitude of materials and resources available to students in Jefferson County just by "Walking in Library Doors."

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