The Brownsville Public Library Southmost Branch recently reopened to the public after one year of being closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but things don’t look the same.
With the walls newly painted, smaller and more efficient front desks added, designated areas for the different sections, and more electric outlets available, Brownsville residents who frequent the library noticed the changes immediately, even if they hadn’t been inside the library for a year.
“Just yesterday, we had a family that finally returned. They were so excited because they were joking that pretty much it has been a year since we closed. They came in, and I saw them from the entrance, and I saw how they were looking around, looking up and they were very excited,” Librarian Leo Rodriguez said.
“They definitely noted the changes and were so happy to be back. They felt like they were back home again. They were excited to see the changes and be able to physically be inside the library and check out their items again.”
Both libraries reopened to the public in March with the exact same hours of operation for both branches. While residents were not allowed inside during the hardest months of the pandemic, the libraries promptly started to offer curbside services while they were closed to the public. Now, they are welcoming patrons with a block schedule that gives them time to sanitize the area throughout the day, but will continue to offer the popular curbside services.
“Even now that we are open, our curbside hours will continue,” Juan Guerra, library services director, said.
“That’s not going to go away. One of the silver linings of COVID was that we started curbside services and now that we’re open, we are going to continue these services so that we can provide convenience for our patrons. And people have used it, they just come in real quick and get their book. That will not go away.”
Rodriguez said the library wanted to make sure that it was utilized by all of the users by having designated areas that would make them feel more comfortable and part of the library. During this year, the Southmost Library also cleaned and sanitized each book available in the facility.
“We wanted to make sure that everybody had the areas where they can feel like they’re at home. So, one of the things we did was that we rearranged all of our collection,” he said.
“Now, the children’s department is defined, back there you can see all the children books. Now, there’s an area for teens, so all the teens collection, fiction, non-fiction and graphic novels are all within one designated area. We moved the adult collection to the right side of the building, close to the DVDs. We were able to make sure that everything is within one place for each user.”
Guerra said the renovation at the Southmost Library is just the beginning of all the new programs and even more renovations that will take place at the library. He said with the newly developed Library Taskforce, he is excited for the future and what it will bring to the families of Brownsville.
“We have a vision of the future of the library, but the taskforce allows us the opportunity to see it from a different point of view,” he said.
“Most of them are users, so perhaps something that we never saw before, they can give us ideas. Besides what we have in mind, we are going to use everything that we have at our disposal for our patrons.”
Rodriguez said for future projects, such as a colorful mural inside the library, he would like to have local artists get involved so that more residents become involved and think of the library as a second home. He said the Library Taskforce is a good start because it allows the community members to be involved.
“This really allows the community members to be involved in a very specific way that can impact the community of Brownsville. We are very excited that the members are eager to start working on developing their recommendations for new programs and events,” he said.
“It is a very important point to make that the library is changing, it’s a destination for families. I think parents should remind their kids that it is important to read, but it is also important to form connections with other people, and I think that’s the most exciting part about the library. You can also feel like you’re connected. You can also feel like you’re part of the community.”
