Updated Children's Room Renderings

As we're nearing selecting a contractor and setting hard dates for the renovation to begin, we have some beautiful renderings of the new space to share.

Looking north from the doors into the Children's Room, patrons will be greeted by staff at the service desk, expansive views of the entire room, and twice as much room for comic books and graphic novels (at right) than we currently have. By popular demand, a water bottle filling station will be located next to the drinking fountain. Folks can check out their books on the two self-check out machines located directly north of the service desk.

This rendering of the baby and toddler play space in the northeast corner of the Children's Room gives a sense of the durable, cushy flooring, the sun-drenched room to play, and some of the kid-friendly furnishings that invite crawling and cruising. For reference, the stained glass window and the emergency exit are located at your back as you stand in this area. New shelving will allow all the picture books to face out so folks can see their beautiful covers. A wall-mounted track will invite little ones to roll balls or drive tiny cars under the window. Two built-in reading nooks, nestled under sculptural trees, will shelter kids curled up with a book.

This view looks east towards the last view and hints at some of the amenities for older children. The child who appears to be intently studying a plain grey wall is actually standing at a brand-new vertical play space for exploring physics, trial and error, and collaborative play. Galvanized sheet metal mounted to the wall will be perfect for kids playing with balls and magnetic ramps. Directly behind this view, in the northwest corner of the Children's Room, will be a designated area for Big Kid STEAM Play, a rotating play invitation for elementary school-aged kids and their caregivers that often includes "big kid" tools and materials like sewing machines, hot glue guns, and small parts not suited for younger children. Having a special zone for this activity will allow us to continue to entrust older kids with real scientific and artistic equipment.

This final view looking at the double doors out of the children's room features a little nook we're affectionately referring to as "the treehouse." This area currently houses half a dozen computers. During our public engagement sessions we learned that parents value the Children's Room's mainly "unplugged" nature. We are currently working on a lending program for laptops or tablets that children can use in the library so that kids still have access to these tools without permanently designating a big chunk of floorspace to a handful of desktop computers. The Children's Room will continue to be dedicated to the memory of Belle Chrisman, Bozeman's first librarian from 1895.

Please watch this space for updates about the Big Check Out, the See Ya Later Party, and construction timelines. Thanks for following along, everyone!