Historical Fall 2003 article. Dates, prices, services and contacts describe the source period; current availability has not been established.
Anyone who loves to read can tell you that one the best assets of St. Louis is its library system, a system that is made even greater by the beauty and variety of its library buildings.
Some of these libraries were built to inspire – the lofty spaces of the downtown St. Louis Library are a case in point. Others were made to dazzle – the Schlafly Library on Euclid is a hip new example. Still others were created to be homey and welcoming, nestled in their neighborhoods like books on a shelf. Such is our own Charing Cross Library, one of only two minibranches in the St. Louis system, a library with an interesting history and much to offer today. Since 1992, Charing Cross has been serving the community from a small storefront at 576 N. Skinker Boulevard.
Some might remember its earlier incarnation as a sub-library (a predecessor to the branch system) in a former grocery at the southeast corner of the present-day Four Corners Park.
When that facility burned in 1972, neighborhood activists successfully fought to bring a branch back into the community. Soon the library was reborn as the Kingsbury Kiosk, a tiny (14 feet across), movable round building (it even had round shelves!) in the same location, which was much used and loved by the community.
In 1992, the branch was moved to a more permanent location on Skinker and renamed (though the name’s origins remain obscure).
An expansion in 1997 doubled its size to today’s stillsvelte proportions. Though Charing Cross is charmingly petite, it offers “just about everything a large branch has,” says Librarian Charles Lamkin, from books to videos, music, books on tape, even some magazines that can be checked out. Its windows brim with books offering ideas for seasonal projects from gardening to pet care to cooking, displayed like tempting treats. Just about the only thing that it doesn’t offer is internet access – its tiny size just can’t accommodate the equipment. One of the unique features of Charing Cross is that it gets recent bestsellers that don’t circulate to other branches, says Librarian Lamkin.
This means you can often walk in and find the latest John Grisham on the shelf, no easy feat at other library locations. And if you can’t find what you’re looking for, it can be obtained from another branch in just a few days time, Lamkin says.
In fact, these requests make up a large portion of the library’s circulation. Over 2,000 people visit the library each month, including many college students and University City residents, who have reciprocal borrowing privileges. It’s an especially great place for kids, with a reading corner and lots of children’s books. Library hours are Tuesday to Friday, 1-6 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m.-noon and 1-6 p.m.
To request a book, call 726-2653. Happy reading! Special thanks to Charles Lamkin, Lois Schoemehl and Calvin Stuart for contributing to this article.
Originally published in The Times of Skinker-DeBaliviere, Fall 2003.
Read this article in the original newspaper issue.
Original source: SD_Times2003_09.pdf, printed page(s) 3; PDF page(s) 3.
