From Library Director Ryan Johnson:

Our new Outdoor Activity Space is complete! If you haven’t yet heard about this exciting project, let me catch you up. Just over a year ago, a family made a donation to the library for the “creation of an outdoor space for kids.” They saw a need for a formalized space outside the library, given how popular (and thus crowded) many of our children’s programs can be. And after going through the pandemic, more and more families preferred the option to meet in a less crowded outdoor space. Our patrons agreed: the desire for more space, and specifically more outdoor space, was backed up by the results of a community survey and engagement workshop we recently conducted.

That family’s generous donation, coupled with community feedback, got us thinking about what might be possible. While the library is surround by a lot of green space, not much of that space is useable due to the retention ponds on either side of the building. After consulting with some folks in our Public Works Department, however, we identified a spot of land on the northwest corner of our lot that could work as a potential outdoor area.

With a building site identified, our vision could come into focus.

A plan emerged for a 30-foot by 30-foot concrete pad covered by an all-seasons shade structure. A new sidewalk would connect the space to the existing sidewalk to provide easy access.

That initial donation, while substantial, wasn’t quite enough cover the scope of the project. That’s where the Friends of the Library came in. The Friends agreed to financially support the project and helped us secure a partnership with State Construction to build it at-cost. I cannot stress enough how vital State Construction was in getting this project across the finish line and within a budget we could afford.

Just over a year from that initial donation, the new Outdoor Activity Space is complete. We held our first event out there this past Friday, and it was a tremendous success. The space give us the opportunity to hold a ton of outdoor children’s events — everything from story times and STEM activities to messy projects best held outside. Of course, while primarily created with kids in mind, the pavilion also gives us the ability to have a larger space for book clubs, studying, yoga classes, and more.

Overall, we’ll be able to host more kids per event than we can indoors. What’s more, we’ll still be able to utilize our indoor space for other purposes while the outdoor space is in use! It’s incredible what can be set in motion by a family who recognized a need, and a community that came together to support it. It truly is a win-win for the library, and for you, our wonderful patrons.

The next time you come by the library, be sure to check it out. We still have some finishing touches, like a sign to recognize the donors who made it possible, and some landscaping to tie it in to the existing space, but whether you’re here for a book club or just to read a book in the fresh air, we’re happy you’re here.

(P.S. Don’t forget our existing outdoor spaces in the children’s and adult services areas, if you’re looking to enjoy the fall weather with a good book.)