{"id":2227,"date":"2015-07-09T16:17:46","date_gmt":"2015-07-09T20:17:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/nateandrachael.com\/terrehaute\/?p=2227"},"modified":"2015-07-09T16:27:55","modified_gmt":"2015-07-09T20:27:55","slug":"vigo-county-public-library-youth-services","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nateandrachael.com\/terrehaute\/vigo-county-public-library-youth-services\/","title":{"rendered":"UNDER CONSTRUCTION: Big Changes Coming to the Vigo County Public Library!"},"content":{"rendered":"

Big\u00a0changes are coming\u00a0to the Vigo County Public Library Youth Services Department<\/a>! To be sure the\u00a0youngest patrons and their families are prepared to see the space under construction, the library has asked to sponsor this post and use the Haute Happenings network to help spread the word. We are so thankful for their support of and belief in Haute Happenings!\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

I have good news and bad news for you. Which do you want to hear first?<\/p>\n

Since you’re not actually here to give an answer,\u00a0I guess I’ll\u00a0start with the bad news: the youth services department of the VCPL (the\u00a0downstairs portion) will be closed for 10-12 weeks starting in the middle of August.<\/strong><\/p>\n

I know, I know. I’ll miss it too.\u00a0Whenever my family needs a cool, dry, free play area, we head\u00a0to the library.<\/p>\n

But have no fear! This closure is temporary. And\u00a0when it reopens, I think we’ll all be pleased with the result.<\/p>\n

\"Construction<\/p>\n

How can I be so sure? That’s\u00a0where the good news comes in!<\/p>\n

Changes Coming to the\u00a0Vigo County Public Library Youth Services Department<\/h2>\n

For starters, there is going to be twice as much\u00a0square footage<\/strong>.\u00a0I got a sneak peek of the area today! Most of the added space will come from back hallways and offices that the public can’t see or use. This is the first big update since 1979, and one of the biggest changes will be more usable space. That’s worth celebrating!<\/p>\n

The Youth Services coordinator\u00a0(Holly) is going to take us\u00a0on a little tour and share the rest of the good news.<\/p>\n

Ms. Holly:<\/strong> “Should we start with the entrance to the department?\u00a0 Remember, I\u2019m a mom of twins. As infants,\u00a0they rode in a giant stroller we referred to as \u201cthe bus.\u201d When you come down the elevator with a stroller, you have to navigate two doors to enter the department. That can be a nightmare with a stroller! We will\u00a0leave the stairwell entrance intact, but we will also create a hands-free entrance from the hallway!<\/strong> \u00a0That way you can come off the elevator and head straight into the department. Amazing, right?”<\/p>\n

Rachael’s Translation:<\/strong> New doors!\u00a0At last! I, too, fought the old,\u00a0big doors.\u00a0And most of the time the doors won.<\/p>\n

\"Changes<\/p>\n

Remember how the VCPL is now a family place library<\/a><\/strong>?\u00a0The family place library resources will be front and center in the new space.<\/p>\n

Ms. Holly:\u00a0<\/strong>The entrance to the department will feature AV materials, new books, and our Parent\/Teacher collection. It includes topics from making your own baby food to potty training to effective discipline tactics for tweens and teens as well as educational materials (like flashcards, curriculum guides and instructional resources).<\/p>\n

Rachael’s translation:<\/strong>\u00a0I bet there’s something in there\u00a0to help me as my tot moves from the\u00a0“Terrible Twos” into the\u00a0“Tantrum Threes”!<\/p>\n

For the next stop on our tour, you’ll need to see a picture of the new floor plan.<\/p>\n

\"Changes<\/p>\n

Ms. Holly:<\/strong>\u00a0“You can see on the drawing, top right, that there are 4 small rooms being constructed. There are two restrooms.One is a true family restroom with a junior potty as well as an adult-sized potty. This restroom will also have a diaper changing station and jump seats.\u00a0 (The industry actually calls them \u201cChild Protection Seats.\u201d) Have you seen these? \u00a0They are seats to contain your little person while you use the restroom or change another child’s diaper.<\/p>\n

There is also a separate lactation room<\/strong>. This is a semi-private space with comfortable seating for moms who prefer a more discreet environment or who need to contain an energetic toddler while they nurse an infant. Our plan is to have some toys and books available in the lactation room to occupy siblings. This space in particular was patron-driven. We support a mom’s right to breastfeed wherever she is\u00a0most comfortable. But we have had several requests for a more semi-private place, so we have included this space as an optional accommodation.”<\/p>\n

Rachael’s\u00a0translation:<\/strong>\u00a0Some nursing moms want privacy and some moms are more comfortable with nursing in public. The Vigo County Public library wants to support all breastfeeding moms and make them feel comfortable no matter where\/how they choose to nurse. \u00a0Also, the\u00a0struggle to contain a squirming\u00a0toddler while nursing a baby is real. The new space should help support nursing moms as they wrangle multiple kids.<\/p>\n

\"Big<\/p>\n

So where do you go to check out books? The circular circulation desk, of course!<\/p>\n

Ms. Holly: “<\/strong>The circulation desk is the big circle in the center of the drawing. \u00a0Behind the circle (to the top of the drawing) is an early literacy space, where the picture books\/toys\/ manipulatives for the 0-5 crowd will be housed. The game\u00a0computers will be moved to this area as well.<\/p>\n

To the left of this area is an empty room that is a dedicated space for programs<\/strong>! YAY! The library staff is so excited about the flexibility this space provides. Our programming is now dependent on the availability of meeting rooms, and those rooms often book a year in advance.<\/p>\n

\"Remodel<\/p>\n

We are also paying attention to sensory integration issues<\/strong> that are concerns for some of our patrons. The \u00a0floor will be covered with a subtle patterned tiling, and we are planning to incorporate adjustable lighting (dimmers). \u00a0We will also install a smart tv. \u00a0This space will accommodate many of our storytime programs and our family events; however, whenever it is not in use, it will be open for free play and exploration and stocked with manipulatives, musical instruments, and fine and gross motor equipment.<\/p>\n

One of my librarians is a former art teacher, and she is super excited that a tile floor will allow for more \u201cmessy\u201d projects, like painting and sculpting and allows us to focus our programming efforts around STEAM initiatives.”<\/p>\n

Rachael’s translation:<\/strong>\u00a0The\u00a0library wants to meet the needs of kids who are sensitive to sensory experiences and stimulation. This is very good. The new space will also provide more opportunities for messy\u00a0projects and play-based learning experiences for all kids.<\/p>\n

This all sounds dandy, but\u00a0what about the big kids?<\/p>\n

\"Changes<\/p>\n

Ms. Holly:<\/strong>\u00a0“The bigger kids won’t be\u00a0left out! We are increasing the number of internet computers and re-configuring the work stations. The physical divide of the room helps us feel more comfortable providing tabletop activities for the older kids that may include smaller parts or pieces.<\/p>\n

Rachael’s translation:<\/strong>\u00a0Families with school-age kids will love the changes too, and my little kids won’t outgrow the new space anytime soon!<\/p>\n

Final thoughts from Ms. Holly:<\/strong> “As you can see, we have put a lot of thought into the renovation and we have worked hard to improve our customer experiences. I am excited to be a part of this project as a mom of toddlers and as a library employee. I am looking forward to the future here at VCPL.”<\/p>\n

Rachael’s translation:<\/strong>\u00a0To provide the best possible service to the community, places like the\u00a0Vigo County Public Library (VCPL) need to be willing to grow and change. So while it might be an inconvenience to Hauteans like me\u00a0to have our library under construction, I know that the hassle\u00a0is temporary and the upgrade\u00a0is worth it!<\/p>\n

While the youth services department is closed, children and parents won’t be able to browse the materials. <\/strong>A small collection of Youth Services materials (picture books and early readers) is housed in the Lifelong Learning Center on the main floor. Patrons will be able to visit this space, browse the titles, and make selections for checkout.\u00a0You\u00a0can request a specific title and the library staff will bring it to you for check out.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Unfortunately, the remodel means that there will be no fall story time this year.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Do you\u00a0have friends who love to hang out in the library? If so, please share this post<\/strong> so that they’re prepared and excited when the construction begins!<\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Big\u00a0changes are coming\u00a0to the Vigo County Public Library Youth Services Department! To be sure the\u00a0youngest patrons and their families are prepared to see the space under construction, the library has asked to sponsor this post and use the Haute Happenings network to help spread the word. We are so thankful for their support of and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":2236,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[17,6],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nateandrachael.com\/terrehaute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2227"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nateandrachael.com\/terrehaute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nateandrachael.com\/terrehaute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nateandrachael.com\/terrehaute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nateandrachael.com\/terrehaute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2227"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/nateandrachael.com\/terrehaute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2227\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2247,"href":"https:\/\/nateandrachael.com\/terrehaute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2227\/revisions\/2247"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nateandrachael.com\/terrehaute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2236"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nateandrachael.com\/terrehaute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2227"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nateandrachael.com\/terrehaute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2227"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nateandrachael.com\/terrehaute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2227"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}