Back open with a new look: Richland Library’s Garden Level
February 5, 2018
The transformation at Richland Library’s Main location (1431 Assembly Street) is nearly complete. Our staff are marking the occasion by inviting the public to a Garden Level Opening Celebration from 10 a.m. – 12 p.m., Saturday, February 3.
After a little less than one year of construction, customers can explore the newly designed Children’s Room and Teen Center, which both have gained additional square footage. The Children’s Room continues to be a source of life-long learning while the Teen Center is a safe space for customers, ages 12 to 18, to explore, create and connect.
Here’s a look at some of the other features:
Children’s Room
Education Studio: Boasting a carefully curated collection, multi-sensory materials and expert staff – homeschoolers, tutors and teachers now have a space fully equipped to support emerging readers.
Family Room: A soft, cozy, space – perfect for interacting with your little learners. Wooden blocks and dollhouses foster imaginative play and high-quality, Montessori-inspired manipulatives encourage early learning.
Homework Zone: Children, ages 5 – 12, can utilize computers in this safe, quiet space designed exclusively for homework.
Lobby Area: Grab a café table in the spacious lobby – complete with stroller parking – while you wait for storytime to start or friends to arrive.
Storytime Room: Vibrant felt walls and soft surfaces make the perfect backdrop for storytime and puppet shows. Bring your favorite stories to life in the adjacent creative space – perfect for messes.
Tween Space: For the not-so-littles but not-quite-teens, we’ve designed a space filled with comfortable seating, a magnetic Scrabble wall and all their favorite chapter books.
Public Art: From the Wild Things mural and Kimi Maeda’s interactive shadow puppetry to Kirkland Smith’s found art and more, budding young artists are surrounded by original artwork from some of the Midlands’ most creative minds.
Teen Center
Deck: Hang out with friends, curl up with the latest manga release or work from one of our new laptops in this comfy space beneath the trees.
Gaming Lab: Test out the latest consoles from PS4 and Xbox One to Nintendo Switch and more. Or try your hand on our new ping pong and foosball tables.
Makerspace: Tinker, experiment and create with tools in both guided and open lab sessions. We can’t wait to show you our new sewing machines, vinyl cutters, drawing tablets and more.
Public Art: Richland Library’s first artist-in-residence, Marius Valdes, has created an eye-popping, 50-foot mural from more than 1,500 hand-drawn bookmarks submitted by the community during his residency.
The upgrades are part of a $15 million project planned for the Main location, made possible by Richland County residents with the passage of a $59 million bond referendum back in 2013.
To check out the latest building updates and project renderings at all of our locations, visit buildingyourlibrary.com.
About Richland Library
Richland Library is a vibrant, contemporary organization that provides resources and information that advance the Midlands. Offering state-of-the-art technology, a variety of literary and cultural programs and 11 bustling facilities located throughout the county, Richland Library offers a truly customizable, modern library experience for residents and visitors alike.
