DATE: Thursday, September 11, 1997          TAG: 9709090134

SECTION: NORFOLK COMPASS         PAGE: 13   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY FELICIA PAGE, STAFF WRITER 

                                            LENGTH:   50 lines

LIBRARY RICH IN AFRICAN-AMERICAN LITERATURE

If you can't find the novel, ``Flyy Girl,'' by Omar Tyree, don't give up. Chances are you'll spot it at the Park Place Branch Library on 29th Street in Norfolk.

Although small, the library, in the Park Place Multi-Service Center behind James Monroe Elementary School, has one of the largest collections of African-American books in the city.

The Park Place branch was originally funded in 1970 by the Model Cities Program, an initiative to upgrade all aspects of life within select target areas.

Formerly the Black Cultural Center on Princess Anne Road, the library focuses on children's books and African-American literature, meeting the needs of the surrounding predominantly black community.

``If we were to put our readers on a 100 percent ratio, 65 percent would be children,'' said Beverly Freeman, the children's specialist.

Added Bettie Goganious, branch manager, ``With that in mind, we have African-American picture books so our children can see black faces in that they can relate to.''

The Park Place library offers an enormous number of its more popular books, including``how to'' editions, basic education, resumes, African-American fiction, children's books and even some out-of-print books. Library members also have access to the family resource center, which specializes in parenting information from prenatal care to preparing for college, children's reading programs and activities, the Internet and the inter-library loan system.

``We're a family one-stop shopping center,'' said Beth Nawalinski, a public information specialist with Norfolk Department of Libraries. ``Since we're located in the multi-service center, we've gotten more exposure.''

``Some people come in to browse . . . every day,'' said Freeman, who's been at Park Place for five years. ``We've even had some waiting for us to arrive in the mornings.''

Adds Goganious, who has been at the library for 2 1/2 years, ``We are really a community that offers support and looks out for one another. We don't just give a book, we're here to serve the people.

``The greatest satisfaction in working here is being able to satisfy someone's needs, especially a child or elderly person that can't go anywhere else.'' ILLUSTRATION: Staff photos by LAWRENCE JACKSON

Chantell Barrett, 9, and Tiara Hill, 7, center, share a book.

Beverly Freeman is the children's specialist at Park Place Library.

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