Searcy (LP) Searcy Public Library has been a great spot for many members of the White County community for over fifty years. As of now the library is about ten thousand square feet, and with the growth of the community, the estimated square footage for a library with a community our size is forty thousand. Kayla Harris, a mother of two, states “Sometimes people think that the library doesn’t get enough visitors for a new one to be needed, but they are probably people that do not have children and not as depicted to this community as some.” During the last year there were one hundred eighty six thousand three hundred and forty one visitors, and there are twenty four thousand six hundred and sixty six card holders at the library.With a Searcy having a population of three thousand and nine hundred and eighty three, that is quite a few members for the whole county.

On May 9th there will be the vote to support a the bond issue for the new library. The Library Director, Darla Ino, says that the new construction “will have more space for teens and children” and  she is excited about how it will serve the population more diligently. “There will also be new facilities that include study rooms, meeting rooms and a lot more technology.” Ino states. The construction for the building would be starting at 9.2 million to 9.8 million dollars and then for the furnishing and other equipment will cost about 3.2 million dollars, so in all the whole project would cost around thirteen million dollars, but no more than that. The new opening date would be “sometime in March of 2019.” (Ino) Kayla Harris says  “I am excited that this new library and the programs that will be held there will help my kids in the future with there school, it really seems like it will be a safe place for them to ‘hangout’ when they get into their teen years.” The main goal for the library is “to be able to serve the community more adequately and have a new building that will last for what it is worth.” (Ino) If you have more questions about this project you can visit whitecountylibraries.org and if you have more question you want answered you can visit imaginetogether.org.