If you live between Reeds Spring and Branson West, where was your nearest public library a year ago? Galena, Crane or Blue Eye. Stone County got its first library in 1948, and in recent years the system ran exactly three branches, in those three towns. The Reeds Spring–Branson West area, the most populated part of the county, didn't have one.

That changed this spring. Around National Library Week in April, the library system opened a fourth branch right in Reeds Spring, working with New Testament Christian Church. Six months later, the branch is open longer than when it started. It was set up from the beginning to grow or shrink based on how people use it.

A Branch Designed to Be Adjusted

The Reeds Spring branch opened with a short schedule on purpose. Library director Rebecca Lewis explained the reasoning to KY3 at the opening: "This is a way for us to sort of feel out the community, see what their needs are."

She was open about the budget, too. Staffing is expensive, so the plan was to start somewhere between good service and affordability. Then in the next budget year, the library would look at what was working and decide whether demand called for more hours. Lewis also told KY3 she hoped to stretch the Monday and Thursday hours to 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. by summer.

The library's hours page now shows that change in place.

Each weekday it's open went from four hours to nine, and the branch's weekly hours more than doubled. The once-a-month Saturday morning stayed the same.

The Galena branch is still the county's full-week branch. It's open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Wednesdays. Reeds Spring is open two days a week plus one Saturday a month. If you plan around the branch in town, remember that Monday and Thursday are your days, and there are long gaps between them.

What the Branch Lends Besides Books

Lewis also told KY3 that it carries something no other Stone County branch does: "Our Reeds Spring location has pickleball paddles that people can check out. We have a telescope that will be here as well available for check out. We just do a little bit of everything."

That makes the Reeds Spring room more than a small shelf of novels. The paddles let you try a game before buying your own gear. In April the telescope was still on its way, so call the branch to ask whether it's on the shelf yet before you plan a November night around it. Dark comes early this time of year.

The books on hand are only part of the collection. The branch is connected to a statewide resource, which brings its full collection to around 5 million books. The Stone County Library also offers free 24/7 Wi-Fi at every branch, plus ebooks and e-audiobooks. Since the Wi-Fi runs around the clock, the Main Street location is still useful on the five days a week the doors are locked.

The Branch's Calendar Through December

The fixed schedule makes the next two months easy to plan. Here are the dates for the Reeds Spring branch:

• Saturday, Nov. 7, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The November first-Saturday opening, and the only weekend morning the branch is open this month.
• Monday, Nov. 30. Last day to pre-register for The Egg Lady program.
• Thursday, Dec. 3, 1 p.m. The Egg Lady, Sara Carr, with a Yule Log and Eggnog theme. The library lists it for ages birth and up, and it's filed under the system's Reeds Spring events.
• Saturday, Dec. 5, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The December first-Saturday opening.

The Dec. 3 program falls on a Thursday, one of the branch's two regular days, so families can return books and attend the program in one trip. Two addresses are floating around, so check before you go. The event page lists the venue as 22065 Main St., and the library's branch directory gives 21016 Main St., Room 12. The branch number is 417-524-9222, and a quick call will tell you which door to use.

The system's November and December calendars also list Storytime for ages birth to 6, children's activity hours, Young Explorers and Creativity Club. Those calendars cover every branch, so check each listing's location before assuming it's in Reeds Spring.

Turning a Library Stop Into a Main Street Afternoon

The branch sits in a stretch of town where other small, deliberate bets are being made. A few blocks around Main Street and Spring Street can fill a good part of a Monday or Thursday.

Mid-Town Cafe, at 22221 Main St., serves breakfast and lunch. Its seasonal Tuesday schedule ended Oct. 27, so check the cafe's site for winter hours before you go. A morning visit to the library pairs naturally with an early lunch there.

Club 22 is at 22 Spring Street, across from the historic spring the town is named for. According to the Stone County Republican, it opened in mid-November in a downtown building that had been sitting empty. Building owner Chris Begley partnered with Chris Gartner to turn it into a social club and deli for all ages. The paper described pool tables, dart boards, card games, specialty coffees, teas and sodas, and a deli menu that includes Alpha-gal safe options. It's BYOB, nonalcoholic drinks are provided, and the space can be rented for birthdays, meetings, receptions and other gatherings.

Begley explained the idea to the Stone County Republican: "We had a vision of bringing people back by offering a social environment that was comfortable and inviting." Its own website still promotes Saturday live music. The paper reported hours of 5 to 11 p.m., Monday through Saturday, so the club is an evening stop, and the library is a daytime one. Check the club's site or Facebook page for current times before making plans.

The same article mentions fresh paint and storefront updates along Spring Street. The club and the library came about separately, through a private building owner and a county library working with a local church. Both are in downtown Reeds Spring.

What the Next Budget Year Decides

Lewis told KY3 that the library would review the branch in the next budget year: what's working, what needs tweaking, and whether demand calls for more hours. The hours she hoped for in April are the hours posted today. Galena is open five days a week, and Reeds Spring is open two, plus the first Saturday of each month.

For a first visit, pick a Monday or Thursday between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m., or the morning of Saturday, Nov. 7. Ask about the telescope while you're there.

At Step Above Realty, we keep an eye on what's changing in towns across Stone and Taney counties, from a new library room to a building on Spring Street getting its lights back on. If you own a home near Reeds Spring or Branson West and want to know how the area's latest additions fit into what it's worth, we'll walk you through it as neighbors. Get a Free Home Valuation and we'll start there.