Libraries as Community Points

It saddens me to know that some counties here in Indiana do not fund libraries. I think the space, connections, and information that these institutions offer make them necessary to any community. Luckily, I live in a county that funds and strongly supports its library.

The county I live in, Vigo County, does a fabulous job of funding the Vigo County Public Library System. Recently, VCPL realized the need for a third library branch. They began looking at the Twelve Points Neighborhood in Terre Haute, a nationally recognized historic district that was in the early stages of a revitalization project dedicated to “preserving the past, making way for new opportunities.” In developing a new branch, VCPL wanted to create something that would meet the needs of the Twelve Points community without duplicating what already existed in the system’s main branch. They wanted to adapt the concept of library as space in a way that would allow them to meet the community’s current needs. They soon realized that in revitalizing an existing building, they could become a unique and vital space in that area of the city.

Their leadership team was so visionary in their approach to planning this new branch! Looking at the demographics of the neighborhood, the planning team saw a large population of senior citizens. They realized the need to have not only books, but also programming that would be live and in person as well as passive (think printed crossword puzzles.)

Young families have no public park nearby with playground equipment. This branch greets users with a bright outdoor play space near the front door. They’ve also installed a splash pad (a favorite of Heather Rayl, Director of Technology and Special Services) near the garage. Garage?? Yes, garage! This large building that at one time was a car garage has been upcycled into additional library space containing a commercial kitchen space available for check out along with tables for lunching or crafting.  The area will be stocked with tools that will also be available for checkout. Public Relations Manager Shaleena Barker who supplied me most (ok, all) of the information for this post said the garage will eventually be a space for mechanical and automotive repair classes.

Inside the library, the littles are treated to bilingual French/English story hour. Teens have a gaming area, along with a hidden door. (Shaleena told me about it but, I forgot to look for it when I visited the branch.) The upper level of the branch is an outdoor deck, a favorite spot of branch manager Crystal Ward. She said she really enjoys having her lunch up there because she feels like she’s being transported to a whole new world.

As if that isn’t enough, I haven’t mentioned the most unique feature of the branch, what I see as its defining element. (Well, aside from the fact that this building used to be a funeral home.) The basement of this branch houses a suite containing a commercial washer and dryer, and a single shower area that is locked until a patron checks out a key to use the facility for one hour.

The need for such services, as well as for wifi access, computer stations, a kitchen, and individual and group workspace, was recognized during severe storms that have gone through Terre Haute in the past few years, bringing down 40 to 50-year-old trees and taking electrical lines down with them. The main branch of the library, unaffected by the outages, led to the realization of these very important and practical uses of library space in the community.

In this way, VCPL is joining the growing trend of libraries responding to climate change while at the same time, users are provided with information, materials, and communities in unique ways that remove barriers to success.

I love libraries!

Special thanks to Heather Rayl, Crystal Ward, and Sheleena Barker for providing information, including photos, for this post.

Filed under: Communities & Outreach