New, Improved Library Has Lots To Offer
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
Warsaw Community Public Library is back and bigger than ever, ready to provide patrons with quality books and services.
Actually, the library never shut down during the year-and-a-half building process that more than tripled its size.
Although the grand opening celebration will not be held until Sept. 13, the library has almost all its programs and facilities open for patrons to use.
"Every day something new is happening," said Ann Zydek, library director.
On Monday, the library opened its second floor children's collection area. The large room features many child-size tables and chairs and two seats by the windows facing Center Street. Below a mural of a lake there sits a special boat, the "SS Warsaw," and a large turtle that allows children (or parents) to sit and read or play.
The "Realia" collection provides puppets, games and toys for children to check out for a week. From picture books for the youngest children to fiction and periodicals for the older elementary children, the children's collection gives kids resources to read and learn. A staffed reference desk is planned for the school year.
At the edge of the children's section is a room for storytelling sessions with the kids as well as an area ready for puppet shows.
The children's section opening was well-timed for the beginning of the summer reading programs at the library. Employees said that more than 300 children and adults signed up for the programs in the first two days of registration. The enrollment is more than doubled from last year, one employee said.
The adults' section has expanded to fit the upstairs new addition to the library. More than 400 periodicals, newspapers and magazines are available, as well as some past publications on microfiche. A large reference and nonfiction collection is open, as is a fiction section with genres including mystery, romance and westerns. The catalogue for the entire collection is accessible through a computer database.
Downstairs, the meeting room is a popular gathering place, according to the library staff. From Jan. 5, when the room first opened, to Feb. 28, there were 59 programs in the room that holds 175 people.
Three small rooms will be available for quiet study areas in the downstairs of the library. These will be available for students with tutors or students who want a private study place. Another meeting room with windows will be used for children's meetings, especially those involving arts and crafts.
Two rooms in the library are not yet completed. The Indiana history/genealogy room is expected to be open to the public by the end of June and the computer room will be open later this summer.
The history room provides patrons an opportunity to learn about the history of Kosciusko County in an environment of local antiques. The room features stained glass windows from the Masonic Temple and a fireplace and mantel from the original Carnegie Library.
Equipment for the computer room is expected to arrive later this summer. Until it is opened, computers for word processing and Internet access are located in the upstairs adult collection area. Several offices and a staff lounge are still being finished in the downstairs part of the old library as well as maintenance and mechanical rooms.
One construction area the library still faces is the parking lot. "We have to get through the summer," Zydek said of the unpaved lot that does not clearly show where patrons can park.
The plan for the parking lot shows a gain of almost 80 spaces, Zydek said. She said the library plans to bid out the project to a contractor in July and have the work done in August.
The number of special programs the library offers is expected to stay the same or increase, Zydek said. During the school year, the library offers as many as 40 programs a month, including tours and story hours.
The expanded facility will allow for new program activities and will bring most of the library programs back on-site at the library, Zydek said.
"We're looking at service a little differently," Zydek said. The community service allows people the opportunity to see how the library helps the community, she said. The programs the library offers will also depend on what the patrons demand.
Special activities are planned for the week after the Sept. 13 grand opening.
Patrons' use of the library has been steady during the construction project, said Joni Brookins, head of technical services for the library. She said she was surprised that circulation only dropped slightly during the hardest months of construction.
The number of card-holders and library users has also increased steadily over the past year, according to library staff.
New books are added constantly to the library collection. Brookins said the collection is expected to grow steadily over the next few years as the budget for buying books increases.
"We're for an active, fresh collection the public is using," Zydek said. Some collections, including the videos, computer software and audio books, are growing quickly. Listening and viewing centers are also planned for the next few months. [[In-content Ad]]
Warsaw Community Public Library is back and bigger than ever, ready to provide patrons with quality books and services.
Actually, the library never shut down during the year-and-a-half building process that more than tripled its size.
Although the grand opening celebration will not be held until Sept. 13, the library has almost all its programs and facilities open for patrons to use.
"Every day something new is happening," said Ann Zydek, library director.
On Monday, the library opened its second floor children's collection area. The large room features many child-size tables and chairs and two seats by the windows facing Center Street. Below a mural of a lake there sits a special boat, the "SS Warsaw," and a large turtle that allows children (or parents) to sit and read or play.
The "Realia" collection provides puppets, games and toys for children to check out for a week. From picture books for the youngest children to fiction and periodicals for the older elementary children, the children's collection gives kids resources to read and learn. A staffed reference desk is planned for the school year.
At the edge of the children's section is a room for storytelling sessions with the kids as well as an area ready for puppet shows.
The children's section opening was well-timed for the beginning of the summer reading programs at the library. Employees said that more than 300 children and adults signed up for the programs in the first two days of registration. The enrollment is more than doubled from last year, one employee said.
The adults' section has expanded to fit the upstairs new addition to the library. More than 400 periodicals, newspapers and magazines are available, as well as some past publications on microfiche. A large reference and nonfiction collection is open, as is a fiction section with genres including mystery, romance and westerns. The catalogue for the entire collection is accessible through a computer database.
Downstairs, the meeting room is a popular gathering place, according to the library staff. From Jan. 5, when the room first opened, to Feb. 28, there were 59 programs in the room that holds 175 people.
Three small rooms will be available for quiet study areas in the downstairs of the library. These will be available for students with tutors or students who want a private study place. Another meeting room with windows will be used for children's meetings, especially those involving arts and crafts.
Two rooms in the library are not yet completed. The Indiana history/genealogy room is expected to be open to the public by the end of June and the computer room will be open later this summer.
The history room provides patrons an opportunity to learn about the history of Kosciusko County in an environment of local antiques. The room features stained glass windows from the Masonic Temple and a fireplace and mantel from the original Carnegie Library.
Equipment for the computer room is expected to arrive later this summer. Until it is opened, computers for word processing and Internet access are located in the upstairs adult collection area. Several offices and a staff lounge are still being finished in the downstairs part of the old library as well as maintenance and mechanical rooms.
One construction area the library still faces is the parking lot. "We have to get through the summer," Zydek said of the unpaved lot that does not clearly show where patrons can park.
The plan for the parking lot shows a gain of almost 80 spaces, Zydek said. She said the library plans to bid out the project to a contractor in July and have the work done in August.
The number of special programs the library offers is expected to stay the same or increase, Zydek said. During the school year, the library offers as many as 40 programs a month, including tours and story hours.
The expanded facility will allow for new program activities and will bring most of the library programs back on-site at the library, Zydek said.
"We're looking at service a little differently," Zydek said. The community service allows people the opportunity to see how the library helps the community, she said. The programs the library offers will also depend on what the patrons demand.
Special activities are planned for the week after the Sept. 13 grand opening.
Patrons' use of the library has been steady during the construction project, said Joni Brookins, head of technical services for the library. She said she was surprised that circulation only dropped slightly during the hardest months of construction.
The number of card-holders and library users has also increased steadily over the past year, according to library staff.
New books are added constantly to the library collection. Brookins said the collection is expected to grow steadily over the next few years as the budget for buying books increases.
"We're for an active, fresh collection the public is using," Zydek said. Some collections, including the videos, computer software and audio books, are growing quickly. Listening and viewing centers are also planned for the next few months. [[In-content Ad]]