×
×
homepage logo
STORE

New Riverdale Branch Library opens

By Staff | Feb 3, 2009

Appreciation plaque for librarian: Commissioner Frank Mann presents a plaque marking the occasion of the opening of the new Riverdale Branch Library to Sharon Hamman, the librarian. Photos by Mel Toadvine

“Something’s great going on here. I love it when good things are happening,”

said Lee County Commissioner Frank Mann as he spoke as emcee at the grand opening ceremonies of the new million-dollar Riverdale Branch Library on Thursday, Jan. 29.

A crowd of about 100 or more were on hand to hear Mann and Commissioners Ray Judah and Tammy Hall also speak before the library held a ribbon cutting ceremony outside the front

The new library is located at 2421 Buckingham Rd. next to the Riverdale Shopping Center and not very far from the storefront it has occupied for some time.

Sheldon Kaye, director of the Lee County Library System was on hand and praised the county and the many volunteers who turned out for the festive occasion. He said when the new library opened a week or so ago, they had 500 people turn out on the first day.

Award for Friends of Library: Commissioner Frank Mann presents a plaque marking the occasion of the opening of the new Riverdale Branch Library to Teresa Murray, president of the Friends of Riverdale Library.

“I thought we had kept it a secret, but I guess the residents were watching

us,” he said.

The original library opened in August of 1991 but soon it was learned it was

too small, and residents wanted their own larger library, despite a larger

library 10 miles away in Lehigh Acres.

At new library information desk: This is a view inside the new Riverdale Library that was marked its opening last week with a ribbon cutting ceremony.

“It shows what can happen when the locals work together to get this new

library,” said Commissioner Ray Judah when he went to the podium in a small jam-packed room with all the seats filled and people standing up against the walls.

There were so many people on hand that many had to stand outside the room to listen to the speakers.

In 2007, commissioners approved the opening of a larger leased facility for the Riverdale community and the ceremonies last Thursday morning showed that those that live in the Riverdale Fort Myers Shores area wanted their own library because they showed up in droves.

The library is a 7,200-square foot building with 16 computers for both adults

Sheldon Kaye, director of the Lee County library system was on hand and praised the county and the many volunteers who turned out for the festive occasion.

and children. There are separate areas for children, teens and adults and

already people are coming in every day signing up to get a library card, said

Sharon Hamman, the local librarian.

She and Teresa Murray, president of The Friends of Riverdale Library, were presented framed mementoes to mark the occasion and to show the appreciation of the community.

One of the newer things in the library that may not be in other libraries is

Several people turned out for the ribbon cutting ceremony held last Thursday at the new Riverdale Branch Library which is now open to the public. It is located on Buckingham Rd. near SR82.

a “wii game,” which children and adults can use as a virtual sport, swinging a

bat or bowling a ball to a wide-screen TV on the wall. Hamman said that it is

becoming popular with the young people. The library has a collection of more

than 45,000 items, which include books, CDs, DVDs and other reference

information items.

Hamman, who has been with the library for 18 years and with the county for 30 years, said the library is open 40 hours a week. The hours are as follows:

Closed Sunday and Monday. Open on Tuesday from noon to 8 p.m.; Wednesday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Thursday, noon to 8 p.m.; Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.