Fireplaces, an outdoor café, drive-up service windows, and cable television are just a few of the amenities that are making the new Southfield Public Library a hit with Southfield High students.
“My favorite part is the treehouse,” says junior Shayla Turner. “It has bean bag chairs where kids can sit and read.”
Sophomore James Anderson said he likes the new self-checkout stations for books. A machine instead of a librarian hands users a paper receipt that says when books are due.
Other automated features about the three-story library include self-flush toilets and automated water faucets.
Junior Jamie Sessoms says she and several classmates used a private conference room in the new library earlier this month to create a web page for their Business Information Systems class. Junior Sean Penn brought his laptop to the library so that he, Sessoms and their other group members could complete the homework assignment for business teacher Cheryl Dunn.
Located on Evergreen Road at Civic Center Drive, the library opened June 15, just after school released for the summer. So many student are only now discovering the library as they need it for their schoolwork.
The library’s new features have lead to a dramatic increase in library use by students, says Carol Mueller, deputy city librarian.
Building amenities include two computer training labs; public study rooms equipped with cable T.V, and color laser printers. and copy rooms“The library is spacious; the quiet room is my favorite room because I need a lot of quiet to complete my assignments,” says senior Alexander Daniels.
The library was built with funds approved by voters in 1999. The groundbreaking was Apr. 11, 2001.