Using the library

If you haven't been to the public library in a few years, you would be surprised. No longer is a library just for checking out books. The new Cape Girardeau Public Library, more than double the size of the old library on Clark Avenue, is a hub of diverse activities.

In addition to books and periodicals, the library has DVDs and audio books. Hundreds of library users take classes, do homework, attend community forums, find a quiet place to read and work on computers.

The new library, which opened in May, added 20,000 square feet to the facility's space. Library officials anticipated an increase in usage, and they haven't been disappointed.

Comparing the three months of June, July and August 2007, before construction began, and the same months of 2009 tell the story. Circulation of materials is up 14 precent. The number of library cards issued in those three months more than doubled. The number of out-of-district cards issued is up 155 percent. Internet use is up 19 percent.

Betty Martin, the library's executive director, says there are opportunities for more growth in usage as the community discovers what the library has to offer and sees how nice the new facility is.