The Salem Public Library’s new location on Northeast Broadway St. was full two hours after it first opened on Tuesday, Feb. 18. (Saphara Harrell/Salem Reporter)
After a brief hiatus, the Salem Public Library re-opened its doors at its temporary location on 1400 Broadway St. N.E. Tuesday.
When the library opened at 10 a.m., people were lined up at both doors waiting to get in and get a look at the new space. It will serve as the main branch for the next two years while the downtown library undergoes seismic upgrades.
“You could tell people were just looking at the layout,” said Christopher Rumbaugh, adult services manager at the library.
The more than 16,000 square foot space has three main rooms, with sections for computers, teens, children and adults.
Library staff said the first day has kept them busy as dozens of people entered.
Most of the computers, sitting areas and tables were occupied.
In the children’s section, Whitney Carroll was trying to find something for her kids. Carroll said she’s happy she won’t have to pay for parking at the library’s new location, which has a 61-space parking lot.
Nearby, Barbara Madel was sitting in a chair reading a children’s book on chess. She plans to learn so she can play with her great grandson.
Madel said she misses the main library, which she frequented to get books on tape.
In another room, Chris Clarke perused the aisles for a book on the history of Oregon. He and his wife moved to the Salem area three months ago, and he said the couple was attracted to the city’s large library when deciding where to move.
He couldn’t find the book because it was one of more than 240,000 that didn’t make it to the new location, which has limited space for materials.
The library is open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday.
The Salem Public Library opened its Broadway location on Tuesday, Feb. 18. (Saphara Harrell/Salem Reporter)
Have a tip? Contact reporter Saphara Harrell at 503-549-6250, [email protected] or @daisysaphara.
