They Stole The Show at The June 24 New Donelson Branch Opening. Now, They’re Loving What They See

On Monday, June 24, it was hot — like, really hot — outside. No matter. More than 2,000 people turned out to get their first view of the new Donelson Branch Library.

Among the crowd were all the Metro and elected officials you’d expect to see at a celebration like this. Mayor Freddie O’Connell even volunteered to help check out customers’ books for them from behind the circulation desk!

But one person, a longtime Donelson patron, stole the show.

Her name is Erycka Shorter, and this is her story.

The Start of a Library Friendship

Shorter — a self-described “small-town girl” —  grew up in Vandalia, Michigan, a place she noted, “... had one flashing light.” After spending her formative years around mostly horses and cows, she moved, to Wisconsin to start her professional career as a teacher and principal.

In 2022, Shorter and her family relocated to Nashville, where she lives and works as a grant writer. Lacking a personal vehicle — and having homeschooled her daughters, Payton and Payge, since 2020 — she took her family to visit NPL's Donelson Branch Library as one of their first stops in town.

“Being a homeschool mom, the original Donelson branch stood out to me. It was a place I could easily walk to and print off the materials I needed to homeschool. That’s where our friendship with the Donelson library started,” Shorter said.

That friendship grew as Shorter and her daughters made daily trips to Donelson. From free printing to the Library’s public computers, Seed Exchange, and more, Shorter continued to find things her family loved.

And then came the new Donelson Branch Library.

Growing with the Community

Shorter is one of NPL’s faithful Donelson customers who have now watched their branch library transition from the original location built in 1965 to a brand new, modern building on 2714 Old Lebanon Pike, Nashville, TN 37214.

At more than 24,000 square feet, the new Donelson Branch Library is roughly four times larger than the old location.

But the move is about much more than a simple change in location. Customers have access to more than 30,000 books and materials, program spaces, study rooms, electric car charging stations, a vehicle registration renewal kiosk, and a mobile demonstration kitchen.

Two public artworks, commissioned by Metro Arts Nashville, are permanently located at the new branch. Meanwhile, borrowable artworks from NPL’s Art Lending Library will soon be available there.

“It’s super exciting, because there are so many more things the Donelson library can do now,” Shorter said. “The grand opening was a beautiful thing. There were thousands of people there, excited about a library. That speaks volumes because there are many libraries closing now, whether from lack of funds or because the community can’t sustain it.

So, for there to be such fanfare and support for a new library is amazing.”

Helping Families Help Themselves

Shorter isn’t shy about expressing her appreciation for NPL and the resources she finds there to homeschool her two daughters.

“If the library was not there, it would be tremendously challenging,” Shorter said. “The monthly, $10 allotment to print out pages is huge. As teachers, we often pay out of our own pockets for things we need in our classroom. When you’re homeschooling, it’s all out of your pocket. Having that allotment is extremely helpful.”

Shorter and her girls love the Library’s Community Passports, which allow patrons to visit some of Nashville’s most popular attractions free of charge. She calls them her family’s “field trips.”

They’re also big fans of NPL’s annual Summer Reading Challenge, praising the initiative for getting young people excited to read with cool prizes and fun activities.

But while the financial aspect is important, so too is the social one.

“To be able to come to story times with other children and listen to stories, or puppet shows, in-house things that the library has — those are interpersonal, social skills that you can’t put a price tag on,” Shorter said.

“It’s a wonderful place, and I hope that more families utilize the Library, especially with this new facility.”

Personal Favorites

While Erycka, Payge, and Payton love everything about the new Donelson branch, like all patrons, they have their favorites:

1. The branch’s children’s section is filled with books Payge and Payton love
2. Playaways — our collection of print books coupled with an audio book version so kiddos can read along while they listen
3. It’s open seven days a week
4. It’s close to their house
5. An even bigger selection of resources