Forest Park residents Cora Burris and her 11-year-old son, Daniel, check out some of the children's books at the new Forest Park Library on West Street.
Darla Rance with the Youth Services Department of the Forest Park Library, checks in books at the new library facility.
Heather Bullard, a library assistant at the new Forest Park Library branch, routes books to other Clayton County library sites for checkout.
Jaron Marshall of Forest Park comes to the new Forest Park Library branch to use the wireless internet for research and study.
As its assistant branch manager, most of her time has been spent thanking patrons for the several compliments they have had about the facility at 4812 West St., adjacent to the Forest Park Baptist Church.
“It has been nothing short of overwhelming,” Clayton said of the public response to the $1.5 million, 16,000 square-foot structure which opened last month.
It replaces the old Forest Park Library, which was smaller and more cramped. That structure has been turned over to the city of Forest Park.
Library officials saw more than 500 patrons visit the new library on its first day of operation and, Clayton added, several were thrilled with the beauty of the structure plus the more than 80 public computers it had, compared to about 56 in the old library, including those specifically designed for children.
Clayton said another aspect of the library, which is also drawing rave reviews, is the “quiet room,” a new facility where parents can take their children if they are acting in such a way as to disturb other library patrons.
“Our children’s area here is also receiving rave reviews as it includes touch-screen computers which children and their parents can use together,” Clayton said.
The library employs nine full- and part-time employees, who have also praised the structure for the increased work area behind the front desk.
In addition, the library’s fulltime employees each have their own work area so they do not have to be directly at the front desk to perform their assigned tasks.
“We have also been receiving a lot of compliments from teenagers about the new teen room here as well,” Clayton added.
“The teen area contains artwork geared to teenagers while also offering them computers they can use exclusively after school,” she added.
In addition to having room for more than 64,000 volumes, the new library includes a multi-purpose room, a computer lab and homework center.
Clayton said perhaps her favorite aspect of the library is that children and adults also have their own areas.
“Anyone who hasn’t seen this newest addition to the Clayton County Library System, it would be well worth their while to visit and see for themselves,” she said.
Information: (770) 347-0160.
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