Grass-roots beginnings lead to an amazing library
Kids, parents, city officials and staff celebrated with happy faces and
lots of applause at the grand opening of the new Castle Pines Library.
While the closing of the old library is bittersweet, the new building is
a dream come true. The jovial atmosphere of the grand opening was
contagious as many on-lookers cheered Mayor Huff as he officially opened
the library with fun confetti instead of a traditional ribbon cutting
ceremony.
Article by Patte Smith; photos by Lynn Zahorik
Simply put, the new Castle Pines library is welcoming and cheerful. Full of sunlight, bright colors and historic-based artwork, residents “oohed” and “aahed” over the thoughtfully designed areas on the library’s grand opening day.
A long way from the bookmobile in the grocery store parking lots a few short years ago, each section in the new library has its own unique feel and blends easily into the next. While aesthetically pleasing, it is functional and practical and the use of space was cleverly conceived. Many areas, including conference rooms, feature shelving and tables on rollers that can be easily moved and expanded for meetings, events, or special programs. For added convenience, the back side of the building features a the drive up window!
Attention kids! Head upstairs for the best of both worlds – fun and books. A four-foot square wall-mounted Lite Brite that you can actually play with and colorful squishy-looking stepping stones lead the way, while books to read and a story-time corner await you and time all to yourselves.
A state-of-the-art laptop vending machine is available for patrons to use while on the premises. Simply pop in your library card, select a Mac or PC based laptop, push a button, and out it comes. Users can be online anywhere in the library, but remember that laptops vended in the library, stay in the library.
One library patron enthusiastically remarked, “This is our new town center, a place to gather and explore. It isn’t the proverbial ‘hush-hush’, but a relaxed place to visit and stay awhile.” Another neighbor stated, “It is so true that seeing is believing. You have to experience this wonderful new library.
To literally top it all off is the much-admired rooftop patio, fireplace, and soon-to-be planted rooftop garden – bringing this grass-roots effort full circle. Talk about planning genius … library goers can take a book, head upstairs, view the beautiful Rocky Mountains and relax – all close to home.
