Brandy Danner is a librarian specializing in young adult services.
Renovations
Way back when I first interviewed for my job at this library, one of the things that came up was the as-then-hypothetical renovation. Because I can't help myself, I started making suggestions on the spot about tearing out some shelves, putting up others, getting better tables/chairs/seating, maybe a coat of paint... I only just barely stopped myself from drawing up plans then and there, as I suddenly realized that you don't go redecorating someone's house before you know them well, and even then you only do it if you're going to live there.
It worked out for me, though, because last week--about a year and a half after I first gave words to my sweeping vision--we renovated the children's and teen areas. Why did it need to be renovated so badly? Well, here's the "before" picture:
It should be pretty clear why I've been so eager to do this. Those stacks in the middle of the room! The galley kitchen appearance! And oh, those paperback racks on the wall, with little organization (alphabetical by the first letter of the author's last name--ugh!) and racks that chew up the bottoms of the books! Of course, we can't forget the institutional-white walls, and who doesn't love that hand-me-down index table from Tech Services in the middle of the room?
Well, it took a while, lots of brainstorming and floor planning, paint samples, and catalogs up the wazoo, but we have our renovation. A fresh coat of paint (yellow), new shelving (perimeter), tables and chairs (cafe style), and comfy seating (beanbags, plus floor rockers pending). We're waiting on new computer tables (with a mid-January ship date), which will replace the table in the middle of the room, and we'll have 6 computers on it once the electrician comes to rewire (the neon sign will be moved and plugged back in then, too). Take another look at the picture above for comparison, then look at our new room:
Thanks to the Friends, the town, and a whole bunch of volunteers who painted the place (under a grant that the children's side got for their renovation), we actually look good! Teen response has been positive so far--I've overheard things like "I love the new tables!" and "it looks so cool!", and witnessed a few girls race each other to the beanbag chair in the back. It's amazing how much of a difference this made--I'm very excited about it, and so are the kids. Hooray!
