Why Public Libraries Matter

JEMA was awarded a sixth library for Scenic Regional Library System. This time we travel to St. Clair, MO where we are doubling the size of the existing library. The existing library is 5,000 sq. ft. and we are adding another 5,000. The existing space will be renovated and will feature a community meeting room.

The New York Times recently published an article called “Adding Classes and Content, Resurgent Libraries Turn a Whisper into a Roar.” It speaks to the rebound libraries are having around the nation. The prediction that books and hence libraries would no longer be relevant because of the digital revolution is dead wrong.


“Public libraries have reinvented themselves as one-stop community centers that aim to offer something to everyone. In so doing, they are reaffirming their role as an essential part of civic life in America by making themselves indispensable to new generations of patrons.”

— New York Times, July 2016

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