Jamie Anderson

Have you ever wanted to read a good book, surf the Internet or drink coffee in the comfort of some place other than your home?

Soon you will be able to do all of that in one place: the Brookings Public Library.

The Brookings Public Library opened in 1913, but it was remodeled about 10 years ago. The resources available at the library include books, magazines, DVDs, VHS movies, CDs, books on CD and eBooks. The library also has a computer lab equipped with Internet access on 20 computers. Wi-Fi has been available for two years.

In the near future, there will be a coffee shop in the building, said Library Director Elvita Landau. The Department of Health just needs to do some finalizations, and then construction will start in about six weeks. The coffee shop will be located on the second floor.

The Brookings library has a very active children’s department. They have a summer reading program, story times, teen programs and puppet shows once a month. There is also an after-school program every Wednesday.

“My favorite children’s program during the school year is the puppet show,” said Katherine Eberline, children’s services coordinator. “They take place once a month and are put on mainly by middle school and high school students. About 130 people attend the shows, and parents love it.”

The main difference between the Hilton M. Briggs Library on SDSU’s campus and the Brookings Public Library is that Briggs is more research oriented and is used more for academic purposes. Briggs also has more computers and government documents.

There are four SDSU students that work at the Brookings library. They work at the circulation desk and help with any computer problems.

“It’s easier to find what you’re looking for here rather than at Briggs,” said Jenni Pickard, a junior early childhood education major. “I’ve worked here a year, and I’m familiar with everything. SDSU students come here more for CDs and DVDs since Briggs doesn’t offer as much in that area.”

About 1,000 SDSU students have cards for the library, a number that has been increasing over the past five years. To get a card, students just need to have their student ID and proof of local address. People can check books and materials out for four weeks, but movies can only be checked out for two days.

Helping those people find what they are looking for has kept Landau at her post for the last 24 years.

“I didn’t expect to stay so long, but Brookings is an excellent community to be a part of,” said Landau. “The part I enjoy the most is seeing the satisfaction a person gets when they find something they are looking for.”

The library is open Monday through Thursday 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Sunday 1 to 5 p.m. The Brookings Public Library is located on 515 3rd St.