By Shaun Szkolnik, for The Tribune
CENTER POINT – Residents of Center Point have another destination in their city to enjoy as the new library opened doors to the public on Monday, June 15.
“This has been a goal of ours since we incorporated,” said Center Point City Council President Roger Barlow. “This has been one of our dreams. To have a library here in Center Point for our kids, our residents, for our students. We’ve coordinated with the high school for their kids to be able to use the computers here. This is a real exciting day for the city of Center Point, to be able to have this library in Center Point … we are so excited and just thankful that we’ve been blessed with this library.”
The new library has a plethora of items and services to meet the wants and needs of the citizens of Center Point. The facility boasts a selection sure to satisfy fans of fiction and non-fiction as well as a serious collection of movies and audio-books. For those with more specialized interests, the library has sections for children, teens, pre-teens and adult services.
Center Point Mayor Tom Henderson was on hand for the grand opening. Despite the opening being a more subdued affair, due to concerns over COVID-19, Henderson was pleased with having such an essential resource for the city.
“When we purchased the Hilldale Baptist Church, about three years ago, one of the goals was to have a library here in this building,” said Henderson. “We took a bond issue out and part of the bond issue was to include the funds for building the library. We did the community center first, it took about a year to get done, and once we got the community center done we went full blast in here. It took us about a year to get this done, but it has turned out beautifully and we are very proud of it … It is going to be a big asset. It means that people in Center Point don’t have to drive to Old Springville Road to go to the library or go over to Pinson or Clay. It gives our people something that they can have close to them and available to them.”
Henderson believes that the new library will provide great opportunities for the citizens of Center Point.
“The library is located within walking distance of the Center Point Elementary school, Irwin Intermediate and Irwin Middle School,” said Henderson. “It is very close and well located as far as the schools are located. It is close to the community center so parents can come, bring their kids and then go next door for a little while and come back and get the kids. There are plenty of computers here. The kids will be able to do their lessons here, for school and do their homework.”
One of the driving forces behind the new library is director Martella Nelson. When she speaks of the new library there is a joy and a passion in her voice.
“I started as a library work-study student in the 80s,” Nelson said. “I never thought it would a be career. I liked it and applied for a part-time position at Birmingham Public and the rest is history. I’ve worked at academic libraries and public libraries as well. I just love meeting people, I love helping people find what they need.”
In the digital age, libraries have had to evolve to meet the expectations of the digital world. The Center Point Library will be meeting these expectations with a robust catalog of e-books and music to borrow. The library will also provide wi-fi on the property as well as public computers, a computer lab and copier services.
Another service that will be provided is test-proctoring for free. Nelson believes that educational pursuits are vital. The guidelines for the test proctoring can be found on the library’s website under services. Test proctoring will not be the only way that the library serves the community.
“So many people are out of jobs right now and we have really been fielding calls where people want to come in and use the computers to search for jobs and to do resumes,” said Nelson. “We’re going to provide resume writing classes for people. We also have people calling in that just want to learn how to use the computer. We still have many people that don’t have access to the Internet. So, we are going to offer computer classes for those that don’t know how to use the computer.”
Computers will also provide a novel solution for library staples to be provided while observing social distancing.
“Because of COVID-19 we’ve had to modify our programs,” said Nelson. “So, we’re having our summer program online. We’re going to have a storytime online and programs with NASA. (We will be connected) with educational institutions. It is going to vary as to what the content is. There will be different websites and hands-on activities for some things. The main thing is our summer reading kickoff which launched online a couple of weeks ago.”
The library is instituting other precautions to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic.
“People can come in,” said Nelson. “We take their temperature when they come in and they must wear a mask. We have hand sanitizer at the door and they must use the sanitizer. They will have 30 minutes to browse and check out and one hour to use the computers.”
Despite the dedication to operating in an increasingly digital and online world, the library has much to offer those whose tastes are more traditional.
“For decades libraries have been more than just books,” said Nelson. “We have online e-books, online music; however, the physical book is still very important. We may have 300-400 holds on an item or even a movie. There is a misconception that just because we are online that we are trending (away from the physical book), but the physical books are still very popular. We can get a book from anywhere in the nation. If we don’t have it, and it isn’t in Jefferson County libraries, we can get it through inter-library loan.”
The Center Point Library is located at 533 Sunhill Road. The library can be reached at (205) 536-7750 and additional information can be found at www.centerpointlibrary.org. The library is currently open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m .to 12 p.m.; the library closes for lunch and sanitation purposes at noon but opens again from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Curbside service is available during those same dates and hours. To take advantage of the curbside delivery patrons will need to call the library in advance and check their items out over the phone.
