COLLIERVILLE BURCH LIBRARY
More Than Just Books Why our library needs room to grow By Meena Viswanathan
On Thursday mornings, the Storytelling Room at the Lucius E. and Elsie C. Burch, Jr. Library in Collierville pulses with energy. Babies bounce, toddlers toddle, and caregivers settle in for a beloved tradition: Tiny Tots Storytime. As Ms. Cyndee leads a roomful of little learners through stories, songs, and movement, it’s easy to see the library is more than a place to borrow books — it’s where Collierville’s youngest are first introduced to the joy of learning. “Our Tiny Tots Storytime is one of our most well-attended programs and consistently fills the room, whether it’s during the school year or summer,” says Julia Trumpy, youth services manager at the Collierville Burch Library. And therein lies the challenge. While families are welcome to drop in during the school year, the summer months bring such a surge in attendance that the library has to implement a ticket system — limiting each session to 20 children. Even then, the space often becomes overcrowded and uncomfortably warm, especially for families with babies in tow. With a 40 percent projected growth in the
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preschool population over the next four years, Library Director Lisa Plath says it’s time to prepare: “One of our top priorities is to make the library more appealing and accessible to Collierville’s growing population of young children.”
Dino Crew or beloved children’s author Jan Brett. Often, staff must turn people away or seek other venues. “We had to contact three different locations before finding one available and willing to host the Brett visit for a weekend,” Trumpy recalls.
GROWING TOWN, SHRINKING SPACE
The conversation about expanding the library began more than a decade ago, with a conceptual design first presented by Haizlip Studio in 2015. In 2023, the Board of Mayor and Aldermen (BMA) approved a revised design by Michael Walker of WalkerArch. This updated plan proposed a larger footprint for the children’s and teen areas, several new meeting spaces, and a 300-person event center. However, when construction estimates came in at $14.5 million, several aldermen requested additional information before moving forward. As of early summer, a final design plan had not been approved. However, $8.4 million has been set aside in the town’s savings for the expansion — $5 million earmarked in 2018 and another $3.4
The Collierville Burch Library, built in 2001 as a 27,000-square-foot facility, has not kept pace with the town’s growth. At that time, Collierville had 33,300 residents. Today, it’s almost 54,000. And while library visits have soared, the footprint remains the same. “The visiting population of the library, compounded by town growth and projected trends, does not meet the square footage recommended by Tennessee state standards,” says Julia Webley, president of the Friends of the Library, a nonprofit that champions library advocacy, community engagement, and fundraising. The need for space becomes more pressing during popular events, like visits from Mr. Nick’s
A VISION DEFERRED