BY DEBBIE PAGE
debbiepage.iredellfreenews@gmail.com

Thursday marked a special day for southern Iredell Countybresidents as the new Mooresville Public Library West Branch held its grand opening and provided guided tours of the new facility.

Mooresville Mayor Mile Atkins, Mooresville commissioners Bobby Compton, Eddie Dingler, Tommy Deweese, Thurmond Houston, Lisa Qualls, and Gary West, State Librarian Michelle Underhill, Mooresville Library Director Marian Lytle, Iredell County Commissioner Gene Houpe, and Chief of Strategic Planning and Student Services for Iredell-Statesville Schools Boen Nutting were among the attendees.

“We had an incredible turnout,” said Atkins. “The overarching thing for the commissioners was to open a west branch library not just for the 50,000 who live in the town limits but for the 90,000 that call Mooresville home.”

The West Branch library officially opened on Friday.

As the mayor pointed to the branch’s theme –“Connect. Discover. Grow.” — above the Circulation Desk, Atkins said, “To have a town presence on this side of town is so overdue. We’ve been talking about a west branch library for probably 20 years. As Mr. Houston said, this is the right time and the right place.”

Atkins said the town leased the facility at an incredible price and hopefully will purchase it in the long-term. “The space is unbelievable and can hold up to 300 people for events and community meetings.”

Atkins said Lytle, who has served as library director for five years, pushed hard for for the branch. “The facility is technology-driven. We’ve got the books, but it’s more technology-driven for the kids and older adults who want to come to a comfortable setting and have access to the wifi and computers.”

The mayor was pleased to see representatives from the Iredell-Statesville School system and nearby schools at the ribbon-cutting ceremony. “We’re super excited. It’s a big deal.”

The West Branch Manager April Llewellyn, Assistant Library Director Nancy Rath, and Lytle proudly showed off the bright and colorful space to the 250 grand opening attendees, ranging from young children to retirees.

Michelle Underhill, State Librarian of North Carolina, came from Raleigh for the opening and praised Lytle, saying, “Everyone loves working with you. You give energy to your team.”

Underhill praised the facility.

“I am just so glad that we have this beautiful, colorful, new library. I think this community needs and deserves that. Libraries should be a reflection of them.”

She said libraries are important for people to access at all points in their lives, from children’s activities and story time, to school projects and study groups, to job training and assistance, co-working spaces, book clubs, and community programming, to a wonderful social outlet and technology resource for seasoned citizens.

“It’s really about life literacy,” Underhill said.

Lytle added that the library is a safe space for teens to gather.

“We love them hanging out. We have some great, active teens who come out.” The youths also serve as valuable volunteers and produced many of the “how-to” videos on the library’s website.

She also praised the Mooresville Friends of the Library (https://mooresvillefriends.com/) as a great volunteer group and a place to plug into the community for retirees and newcomers.

The large, open plan West Branch features toddlers and an older children’s areas with comfortable seating and computer stations, a teen area with couches and large screen monitor, a flex space seating area that can be closed off with panels for large meetings and presentations, a popular titles section for adults, two study rooms with monitors and bluetooth capability to share screens, multiple work and productivity areas, and an area with comfortable couches and charging stations to sit and chat.

The branch also has a drive-thru window to pick up holds and reserved materials and to return materials. “We hope the public will go there to pick up holds to keep the flow going,” said Lytle,
who added self-checkout stations will also be installed soon to free up more staff time to assist and interact with patrons.

Weekly West Branch programming for preschoolers, school age children and teens is planned in the coming months, with activities for adults, including book clubs, interesting speakers, continuing education for life-long learning, and craft projects, occurring several times a month.

“We have everyone from the homeless to the wealthiest folks come through our door, and we want to serve them all,” said Lytle. “We’re grateful to have the support from the community to do this because we have a phenomenal staff.”

West Branch Info

LOCATION: 614 Brawley School Road (Beside Bank of America and across the street from Publix).

PHONE: 704-799-4200

HOURS: Monday -Thursday from 10:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. (with drive-thru hours from 9:00 a.m. to 8:15 p.m.); Friday and Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (with drive-thru hours from 9:00 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.); Sunday closed.

LIBRARY CARDS: Bring ID with address to apply for a free library card for all Iredell County residents ($20 out of county). The library does not charge late fees. After borrowing five items during their first visit, cardholders can check out a maximum of 35 items, with a limit of 10 DVDs.

APP: Download the Mooresville Public Library app on iPhone or Android for information on events, to learn about new books and materials, to download eBooks and audio books, to manage loans and holds, and to connect to the library’s social media outlets.

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