The Marion Public Library is getting a makeover, and early childhood literacy is a big part of the focus. Plans to utilize the Library’s physical space in a new way are being put into motion, and the result will be a Library that can better accommodate its many diverse users.
Gone are the days of the shushing librarian, and the silence of the libraries of yesterday, explained David Hepp of the library. Library users today are very aware of the more active and bustling environment often found in their public library.
Hepp said Marion Public Library has fully embraced this change, but recognized that there was still a significant segment of its users that craved a quieter space for work and contemplation. The new plans will create a more traditional library experience upstairs while fostering a more engaging environment on its first floor where a newly renovated Kids’ Area will be located.
Spaces once full of books have been cleared and the materials moved to different areas of the library, creating some challenges for patrons hunting for certain items. The confusion is a sort of “controlled chaos” according to Gary Branson, Executive Director of Marion Public Library.
“We made a decision to attempt this project without having to close the Library for any length of time. That was very important to us. So along with that decision comes the situation where our staff is accomplishing bits and pieces of the project as time allows.”
Branson says an alternative would have been to close the library for three to four weeks and have everything done in that span, and the idea of closing the library for that length of time was something neither he nor the Library’s Board of Trustees wanted to do.
There is a lot of excitement surrounding the new Kids’ Area, which will serve as a highlight of the project.
“It’ll be the first thing people notice when they walk in to their Library. The colors, new furniture and everything is going to have a wow factor. And we are excited to see the kids light up when they see it for the first time,” says Branson.
Early childhood literacy has always been a major part of the public library’s services, but Marion Public Library has increased their focus on its importance as the community has begun embracing it as well. The library’s involvement in the Let’s Read 20 initiative and the creation of the My First Library Card, a new library card created especially for children aged 5 years and under, are just two examples of their focus on early childhood literacy. The new Kids’ Area is just one more way the Library is trying to get children excited about books and reading.
Other changes at the Library include a new public meeting room space downstairs, wider aisles in the stacks for more enjoyable browsing, and a retail space for a gift and book shop that will be run by members of the BookMarks, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization devoted to supporting the library. The current timeline for the project calls for a December 2015 unveiling for the Kids’ Area.
The Library can be contacted at 740-387-0992 for more information.
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