Northern Michigan Constructors surround the free library they built and installed in the Lower Harbor Park in Marquette. (Photo courtesy of Northern Michigan University)

MARQUETTE – The Northern Michigan Constructors, a student organization dedicated to community service projects throughout the Marquette area, built an Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant little free library and installed it last week next to the Kids Cove all-inclusive playground at Lower Harbor Park.

“Many have claimed to have ADA free libraries, but you can’t really get a wheelchair underneath them,” said NMCs President Lincoln Klinski. “Our whole design concept was to have two posts, one at each end, rather than just a single post in the middle. That makes it possible to pull a little wheelchair underneath it and get close enough to open it and reach in easily. It’s the perfect height for any child because it only has one long shelf and is wider rather than taller.”

The library has four doors with large handles to grasp. It features hand-painted flowers and dragonflies-the latter is the theme of the playground-created by Nheena Weyer Ittner, chair of the Playground for All Committee. The students collaborated with her to match the surrounding visual aesthetic. The library is located near a sidewalk between the playground and the Lower Harbor Park restroom facility.

Barb Coleman, retired NMU professor and member of the Playground for All Committee, attended the installation. She said she was proud of the students’ commitment and dedication to the project.

“They were constantly professional doing this, making sure everything was just right,” Coleman said. “With this playground, we’ve removed all of the barriers to all kids being able to play. And now we have a little free library that has removed all of the barriers associated with getting to it, opening the doors and reaching books from a seated position.”

NMC is a club and community service organization made up of dedicated students of the construction management program. The student-led chapter utilizes its estimating, planning, building, leadership and communication skills to develop and maintain community partnerships while striving to create a positive impact with each project.

Previously the NMC was recognised at NMU’s 38th annual Leadership Recognition Banquet earlier this April. In which NMC was declared the winner of the Project of the Year for its work on the free library.

Built in october of 2024, Kids Cove II replaced the outdated playground built and installed in Mattson Park in 1996. The new equipment is intended to meet current playground safety standards. City officials noted that the previous wooden playground structure was worn and outdated. In 2003, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency banned the future use of treated lumber, which was used to build the original playground in 1996.

A rubber ground surface will lower injury risk during a fall and make the playground easily accessible to those in wheelchairs, walkers and people with unstable motor skills. The surface also makes it easier for parents, grandparents and caregivers to supervise their children.

The total cost of the project was $1.8 million, with the lion’s share of the funding provided by local donors including the Marquette Playground for All Committee and the Community Foundation of Marquette County, in addition to the $300,000 DNR grant.

The dream to build a playground that would work for children of all abilities began with Joani Reynolds Miller. Joani contracted polio as a child. Joani, a retired preschool teacher, had watched children with physical, emotional, and sensory challenges be mere observers at our traditional playgrounds. Joani had a vision of making life for children with disabilities more inclusive in our community. Joani’s positive spirit and love of life were an inspiration for all who knew her.

There are eight play zones in the playground: Toddler Zone, Quiet Zone, Proprioceptive Zone, Spinning Zone, Swing Zone, Climbing Zone, Music/Free Play Zone and Hill Zone.

For more information about the playground, visit www.kidscovemqt.com.