- Willis Miller Library suffered severe storm damage and remains closed, with no set date for reopening.
- Southside Library has taken in many of Miller Library’s patrons, but the extra distance makes access challenging for some.
- Watch the video to see how community members are being encouraged to get state support for repairs.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT
Willis Miller Library took a major hit from the storm, suffering severe damage that forced its closure.
Now, the library system is asking for $3 million in state funds to repair and renovate the space, but even if that money comes through, Southside Library manager Kathy James tells me it'll take time for the doors to reopen.
“That is going to be a little while—at the most, a year before the reopening. We don’t have a set date.”
In the meantime, Southside Library has taken in hundreds of new patrons. But for many, the extra four-to-five-mile drive makes access difficult.
“I know that for some people to go out of their way to have access to the Public Library can be challenging because… everybody does not have their own personal transportation and everybody does not always have access to public transportation.”
Carlos Hundley, a local educator, now runs an after-school homework program at Southside Library. He says the closure may be an inconvenience, but this location is personal.
“This library is on the same side of town, the South end of town, where I was born and raised… really within a stone’s throw of where we are.”
And while the added traffic has made things busier, Hundley sees it as a sign of something bigger.
“It’s a good problem to have. Growth is not a bad thing. I mean, and change is not a bad thing.”
In the meantime, library officials are asking the community to contact our local legislators to push for repair funds, details you can see on your screen.
In Valdosta, I’m Malia Thomas, reporting for ABC27.
