When the St. Louis Public Library (SLPL) was established in 1865, it had 1,500 books in its collection, which, at the time, was only accessible to paying subscribers. Today, SLPL’s Central Library and 16 branches welcome approximately 2.3 million visitors each year to peruse a collection that totals more than 4 million items. And thanks to a recently announced integrated system with the St. Louis County Library, cardholders across the region now have access to almost 5 million items.
Along with its ever-growing collection of books and other items, the St. Louis Public Library’s programs and services have also continued to evolve around the needs of the community. Services include providing research and informational resources for individuals, businesses and groups; outreach to schools, new English speakers and senior citizens; and hosting speakers, authors and discussion groups for all ages and interests.
Liz Reeves, the director of the St. Louis Public Library Foundation, says there are many reasons the St. Louis Public Library is a community treasure.
“We’ve been here a very long time and we are just as relevant now as we were then,” Reeves said. “One of the biggest reasons for that is because we evolve, we innovate, we change as the needs of the community change.”
One of the most noticeable shifts through the years is how patrons access the library’s myriad resources.
“We had card catalogs and books and newspapers (we still do), but we’re doing it in a more innovative way,” Reeves notes. “We provide materials digitally, and we have large print and audio books and more. With technology came the need to learn how to use it, so you can come into the library, do a workshop or learn one-on-one. And those software programs keep changing, and apps are coming into play, and we’re evolving right along with it.”
The St. Louis Public Library Foundation supports the library through advocacy and fundraising. One of its biggest fundraisers is the biennial Stranger Than Fiction event, which takes place at the Central Library downtown on June 4.
This year’s “Stranger Than Fiction: The Art of Innovation” is inspired by literary themes from the Victorian/Edwardian era and steampunk culture. Guests, who are encouraged to dress in 19th-century attire combined with elements of science fiction and fantasy, will be treated to themed food, drink, music and entertainment such as virtual reality headsets, a scavenger hunt and more.
Reeves says proceeds will help fund technology programs at all library branches throughout the city.
“It will benefit technology in multiple ways: free high-speed Wi-Fi for everyone, as well as hotspots and Chromebook bundles you can check out like a book,” Reeves noted. “We’re going to make hotspots available for St. Louis residents who otherwise don’t have internet connectivity – and those hotspots can connect up to 15 devices at home, so the entire household can benefit. It’s not the fix, but it meets the immediate needs of the community.”
Other programs that will benefit include “Creative Experience,” the library’s free digital makerspaces that provide computers, 3D printers, audio-visual equipment, laser cutters and more to entrepreneurs, business owners or anyone else with a valid St. Louis Public Library card or computer pass. Currently, Creative Experience spaces are located in Central Library and the Barr branch. A third makerspace in the Julia Davis branch is scheduled to open this summer.
Over the years, the St. Louis Public Library has fulfilled its mission of providing learning resources and information services to the community through purposeful, adaptive and innovative ways despite power outages, natural disasters and even a global pandemic.
“When we were in lockdown, we kept the Wi-Fi on – we had people in parking lots using the Wi-Fi,” Reeves said. “Our early childhood programs normally reach 50,000 children a year, with team members going into schools. During lockdown, those same team members used our Creative Experience recording studio to record story time and put them on our YouTube channel. And when the daycares reopened but they weren’t letting us in yet, we did story time through Zoom. There was one early childhood center that only had one laptop but had five classrooms. Our team member did the story five times in a row for each room so everyone could interact in the same way.”
Despite the challenges, Reeves says the library has remained a welcoming space for members of the community.
“That’s the great thing about the public library,” she said. “A lot of people, when they don’t know the answer, they go to their public library. If we can’t provide the solution, we can direct them to people to who can.”
For more information on the St. Louis Public Library Foundation, including tickets to the Stranger Than Fiction biennial fundraiser, visit the official event page.
