Community Corner
Smyrna Library Marks Milestone
New mural and Saturday celebration mark three quarters of a century of service to Jonquil City readers and lovers of books.
celebrates 75 years of service to Smyrna’s readers with a reception and a new mural in the children’s section.
The SPL was originally opened in September 1936 by the Smyrna Women’s Club. The library’s original collection was comprised of 50 books on one shelf. Smyrna Boy Scouts went door-to-door with wagons and wheelbarrows to collect books for donation to the collection.
A new 4,000-square-foot library building was built in 1960. It wasn’t until 1991 that SPL moved into its current 28,000-square-foot facility. The library now boasts a collection of 100,000 books and audio visual materials.
The Friends of the Smyrna Library will hold a Saturday, Sept. 17 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. to celebrate the library’s 75th birthday. Michael Siegler, SPL library director, will give a brief presentation outlining the library’s history. Feril Feldman and B.J. Abraham of the “Southern Order of Storytellers” will perform a reading of “The Library Dragon” and other stories.
Local musician Benny Boynton will perform throughout the reception. Kids can enjoy children’s games from the 1930s and there will also be refreshments and door prizes.
In addition to the party, SPL is getting a new mural in the children’s section as a 75th birthday gift. Jill Ott of Antiquity Designs has spent the last few weeks painting a woodland scene with Peter Rabbit, a deer, an owl and butterflies.
Ott is a SPL library patron who often visited the children’s section with her daughter. She offered her time and talent to create the mural. Friends of the Smyrna Library provided the materials at a cost of about $150. Ott began work on the mural on Aug. 31 and now only a few small touches remain.
Also, the library will become a temporary post office on Thursday from 1 to 4 p.m. Free post cards will be given out that you can have stamped with an official postal cancellation commemorating the Library’s 75th anniversary. You can also bring your mail to the library and have it stamped.