MOSCOW - The newly constructed North Pocono Public Library offers space for a variety of programs that were not possible at the old building on Van Brunt Street, which was less than a fifth the size of the new structure.
During a tour that library Director Susan Jeffery provided to The Times-Tribune in advance of the library's anticipated Wednesday opening, she highlighted many of the 8,000-square-foot, $3.2 million library's features.
Aside from the new spaces, Ms. Jeffery said the building is energy-efficient, has eight geothermal wells that power the air conditioning and heating systems, is disabled accessible, will have wireless Internet access, and, on opening day, will feature 400 to 500 new materials ranging from books to DVDs.
Upon entering the building, visitors are greeted on the right by a flat-screen television that will broadcast announcements, on the left by a 90-seat community room and farther ahead by the circulation desk.
The community room, which can be split in half, has a podium, audio-visual equipment including a PowerPoint projector, and a kitchen for cooking programs.
A back door from the community room connects to the children's area, which is painted green and located to the left of the main circulation desk, approaching from the main entrance. The children's area has a few stuffed animals on the shelves, three early literacy computers, a general computer, a "reading tree" and a family bathroom.
Ms. Jeffery plans to work with volunteers to turn the area outside the children's section into an outdoor education space with a butterfly garden.
Behind the circulation desk in the center of the new library is a meandering space including two offices, a staff break area and a janitor's closet.
"Now my staff has space to work," Ms. Jeffery said.
On the right side of the library, approaching from the main entrance, the circulation desk is flanked by new books, a small study room and an area Ms. Jeffery said will be ideal for people who like to use the library as an office. The "Business Entrepreneur Center" next to the copier and fax machine includes two long tables where people can spread documents out and plug in mobile computers.
Next to that is the adult section, which includes several tables of varying shapes; a living room where Ms. Jeffery plans to broadcast CNN and have video streaming capabilities; and a teen area.
The old library did not have room for a teen section. The new building includes a rectangular table, space for a new animé collection, and a raised bar area with several ports to plug in mobile computers, which overlooks an area in which Ms. Jeffery plans to put a raised-bed garden.
Eventually, the library director plans to add career planning materials to the section.
If there is demand, Ms. Jeffery wants to have programming centered on helping teens decide what to do after high school.
"I know of a couple kids who got really off track because they have no one to be their north star, to just give them some direction, and brilliant kids who felt very lost once they graduated high school," Ms. Jeffery said.
Ms. Jeffery plans to get furniture for a porch near the main entrance of the library, which overlooks Church Street and a detention pond, in and around which a wildflower mix has been planted to eventually create "a natural landscape."
The library is extending its Friday and Saturday hours, now from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., to 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Contact the writer: kwind@timesshamrock.com, @kwindTT on Twitter