The Beverly J. Brown Library at 7395 South Siwell Road in Byram, Mississippi will be closing on November 30, 2019. The library is being relocated to a temporary, modular building provided by the City of Byram on Terry Road behind the present Byram City Hall.
The Jackson Hinds Library Board of Trustees approved the closure at their October 22nd meeting. The County Board of Supervisors voted to close the present facility earlier in the month. The move is necessary due to a greater demand for library services at the present facility, and the increased amount of traffic on Siwell Road.
The process of moving the library is expected to take about two months. During the move to the temporary facility, Byram Library customers are encouraged to use the Ella Bess Austin Library at 420 West Cunningham Road in Terry, Mississippi, while the new temporary library is readied for an opening sometime in early 2020.
Library Director Patty Furr comments, “The Byram Library is one of our busiest Hinds County libraries having 41,878 patron visits and 19,452 items circulated in the 2018 service year. The demand for service has simply outgrown the present building. Library administrators have been concerned for some time about our customers having to navigate through the increased traffic on Siwell Road, and we are delighted to partner with the City of Byram to relocate the library to a safer temporary location on Terry Road.”
Jackson Hinds Library Services are funded by the Hinds County Board of Supervisors and the City of Jackson.