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Packing up

PWPL Youth Services to move into newly renovated space

Ezekiel McKnight picks out a book to read at the Peter White Public Library Youth Services Westwood Mall branch location. Today is the final day the mall location will be open as Youth Services returns to its previous space. (Journal photo by Trinity Carey)

MARQUETTE — The Peter White Public Library has long been known for its variety of youth programs offered to the community, but with a newly renovated space even more programming is to come. Today is the last day to visit the PWPL Youth Services at its Westwood Mall branch location as it packs up their things and move back into its renovated space in the lower level of the library.

After almost six months of being located in the Westwood Mall, Youth Services will move all of its belongings back into its previous space in the library throughout next week for a brief reopening on Halloween, complete with all day trick-or-treating.

Renovations to the lower level of the library were much needed after 20 years in the space, said Sarah Rehborg, head of Youth Services at the PWPL.

“It’s really needed it for awhile,” Rehborg said. “The Youth Services room had a problem with the back atrium, where the play area was, with the glass ceiling that was there. It would rain, it would snow, it would be a hundred degrees back there. We would eat up all the community room reservations because it’d be too hot to be in there to hold all of our reservations. It definitely needed it.”

Renovations include new carpeting, a small expansion, additional storage space as well as some new features for patrons to enjoy such as a Tween Zone. This is an area designated for youth ages 9 through 13 and will have books specific to the age group, laptops and bean bags.

The PWPL Youth Services settles into its newly renovated space in the lower level of the library after six months in the Westwood Mall in Marquette Township. (Journal photo by Trinity Carey

“I am most excited about the Tween Zone,” Rehborg said. “We have never really had a good spot for those older kids. We were very toddler and small child friendly, but not so great for the older kids that are too young for the Teen Zone. They basically had a row of computers and that was it.”

Previously, the staff area of Youth Services was simply a large boat desk, like one would see at the entrance of most libraries, but the center now includes a staff area with additional storage, which the space before lacked, Rehborg said.

“The Youth Services room has always been big, however, when you compare this Youth Services room to the size of the library total and you think about how many patrons we bring in, even just designating a teen area, giving staff an actual space to get their work done will make us much more friendly to a larger part of our population and it will allow my staff to be more streamlined,” Rehborg said. “It’s making what we do just a little bit better.”

There is now also a designated programming room to host all the patrons who attend the events offered by Youth Services. More space for programs was the biggest necessity discussed before renovations as the amount of programs offered by the library have doubled in the last 5 to 7 years alone, Rehborg said.

With more space, Youth Services will be offering additional after school programs and rebooting all of its previous programming, most of which are currently on hold until Jan. 1.

With the continued support of the community and the incredible amount of people who attend the library’s programs, it’s nice to reward patrons with an updated area, Rehborg said.

“Yes, we have books and they’re free and you can take as many as you want as long as you bring them back, but we also offer WiFi, we offer educational games, we offer a time for parents and their children to sit together and read, or a spot for friends to come and hang out together and we have a beautiful space to do it in,” Rehborg said.

The PWPL Youth Services will host a grand reopening from 3-5 p.m. Dec. 1, at the same time as the annual Holiday Open House and Winter Wonderland Walk. The theme of the celebration is book characters and attendees are encouraged to dress up as their favorite character.

For more information on programs offered and upcoming events, visit the Youth Services page on the PWPL website.

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