Over the years, residents of the Vickery Meadow neighborhood of  Dallas have turned to nonprofits and faith groups to get library-like services such as a computer lab or language lessons. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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Over the years, residents of the Vickery Meadow neighborhood of  Dallas have turned to nonprofits and faith groups to get library-like services such as a computer lab or language lessons. The Vickery Meadow campus of the nonprofit <\/span>Literacy Achieves<\/span><\/a><\/strong>, which teaches English literacy, provides a snapshot of the neighborhood. Executive Director Sarah Papert said about half of the students speak Spanish while the other half speak other languages. Last school year, the nonprofit\u2019s roster contained students from fifty-two countries.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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The Vickery Meadow branch library \u2014 number thirty in the <\/span>Dallas Public Library<\/span><\/a><\/strong> system \u2014 is set to be one of the city\u2019s most expensive libraries, according to the Dallas Morning News. The cost is expected to be more than $8 million, a price tag covered by a bonds and a private grant. And city officials say the building will be designed and staffed to serve thousands of people who together speak more than 30 languages and dialects.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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Neighbors say the library\u2019s promise can\u2019t be measured in books or dollar signs. Vickery Meadow lacks a city community center and amenities sometimes taken for granted elsewhere. The dense area has had trouble with crime near the future library site. And many residents don\u2019t have computers or internet access in their apartments, said nonprofit leaders in the area.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cThe children are always out on the street playing, exposed to all the dangers there,\u201d Norma Cruz, area resident and mother, told the DMN. \u201cWhy not have a place where their parents can take them?\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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In recent months, Dallas leaders and the architects hired by the city have been taking inventory of the neighborhood\u2019s unique needs. The Vickery Meadow branch will have a staff of sixteen, compared with eight to twelve at most branches. Jo Giudice, Dallas\u2019s library director, hopes to hire from the neighborhood and cover the most common languages. \u201cLanguage is not a barrier to us,\u201d Giudice said. \u201cA smile is universal.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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The future library site is a vacant 3.6-acre site at Park Lane and Ridgecrest Road. Dallas has owned the land for nearly a decade, but the 2008 financial crisis and recession delayed plans to build the library, according to City Council member Jennifer Staubach Gates, who has represented the area since 2013. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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A little over a year ago, Dallas voters approved a $1.05 billion bond package that included $7.7 million for the Vickery Meadow branch. It will also receive $254,000 in park funds for a play area and a $752,000 Crystal Charity Ball grant for the children\u2019s and teens\u2019 sections, Giudice said.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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Giudice, the libraries director, said much of the private grant money secured with the help of the <\/span>Friends of the Dallas Public Library<\/span><\/a><\/strong> will fund youth programming that the city wouldn\u2019t otherwise be able to afford, such as coding classes. The grant will also pay for equipment for those classes, including iPads, STEM kits and gaming systems.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cI almost get teary thinking about it \u2014 that we may hit on something to connect with a child, and they blossom,\u201d Giudice. \u201cIt could be just playing a video game brings them out of their shell a little bit or encourages a love of math. Or a coding class, and all of a sudden we have a computer genius.\u201d <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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