SPACE FOR TEENS TO GATHER
Unlike many communities, Waverly is fortunate to have a large group of teens who use the Library as a regular meeting place with friends and a space for collaboration, gaming and activities. But the growing number of teen patrons has outgrown the available space. Growth means long waits to use gaming equipment, wear and tear on well-loved furniture, noise of lively conversation, and laughter traveling across the building.
Teens are also expanding the idea of what a Library can offer as a community center: spring break camps, Nerf nights, STEAM activities, Minecraft events, video game tournaments, trivia, role-playing games, DIY activities, food, fashion, mystery nights, Library sleepovers, escape rooms. The young adults simply need more space to make the Library their own.
I have always imagined that Paradise will be a kind of library.
Jorge Luis Borges
60+
young adult programs offered annually
3,332
annual attendance in teen programs prior to pandemic building restrictions
20
members of teen advisory board that help plan a wide range of activities
146%
increase in graphic novels published in just the last year
YOUR GIFT SUPPORTS TEENS
For teens, donations to Make Room for Renewal will enclose the Library’s seldom-used south patio to create a large area of their own. The new teen tech and youth lounge will add 1,000 square feet within two adjoining sections:
- A technology space offering computer stations and large monitors for gaming, homework and virtual meetings.
- A lounge area with more booth seating for social activities and collaborative work.
Glass walls will divide the teen space from the rest of the Library to minimize noise and maintain the open, airy feel of the building.
Bookshelves for young adult materials will be redesigned for improved display and relocated to put popular collections – like graphic novels – nearby. Teens will have a community space all their own.