By Jo Moreland
Alpine Mountain Empire Chamber of Commerce
For The Alpine Sun
Great songs from “100 Years of Broadway” hit shows brought smiles, toe tapping at the First Birthday on May 20 of the new Alpine Library!
Talented and charming with lots of high energy, the Alpine Chorale sang, danced and thoroughly entertained a packed Community Room at the celebration at 1752 Alpine Blvd.
By Jo Moreland
Alpine Mountain Empire Chamber of Commerce
For The Alpine Sun
Great songs from “100 Years of Broadway” hit shows brought smiles, toe tapping at the First Birthday on May 20 of the new Alpine Library!
Talented and charming with lots of high energy, the Alpine Chorale sang, danced and thoroughly entertained a packed Community Room at the celebration at 1752 Alpine Blvd.
Birthday cupcakes and other refreshments from the Alpine Library Friends Association and library activities for children were part of the fun.
“We just want to thank you all so much for supporting the library,” Children’s Librarian Jodi Della Pena told everyone. “It has been beyond our wildest dreams!”
Regional Principal Librarian Robin Isicson said that program offerings have doubled at the library since it opened last year. Isicson thanked the Alpine Library Friends Association and library users.
“You guys are the people that make this happen,” ALFA President Christine Connell responded.
President/CEO Mary Rynearson of the Alpine Mountain Empire Chamber of Commerce thanked ALFA for raising more than $400,000 to furnish the new library.
Representing more than 400 businesses and organizations in Alpine and the Mountain Empire, Rynearson presented a congratulatory certificate for the library’s first year in operation and its benefit to taxpayers.
Built to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design standards, the new library is outfitted with solar panels so it is a Zero Net Energy Building.
The old library was cramped in 3,000 square feet of space. The new library has about 12,700 square feet.
In March 2016, the last month at the old library, 292 people attended 37 programs, according to Alpine Branch Manager Jenne Bergstrom. She said 1,508 people attended 80 programs in March 2017..
In the same month, book circulation increased from 8,700 last year to 19,000 items this year.
“We added another open day (Mondays) and increased the staff to include a dedicated youth librarian, and as a result we’ve doubled our number of programs/events and quadrupled the attendance!” Bergstrom noted by email.
Library user Cynthia Howard said she and her children like the library’s programs as well as the books.
“When I read, it’s fun,” young Ethan Howard said.
Having its bookshop inside the new building has also improved what ALFA has been able to do for the library, said ALFA Vice President Deborah Verfaillie.
“We don’t have to pay rent now,” Verfaillie said. “There’s air conditioning and we have so many more people coming in. We’ve also gotten a lot more donations. It has increased our sales. We’ve been able to put a lot more money into the library.”
