#yourlibraryrenewed

The new Thornhill Branch opened last week in Creve Coeur! Over 1,800 patrons visited the new branch on opening day, checking out 3,000+ items. The Thornhill Branch is the 16th location to be renovated or replaced as part of the Your Library Renewed campaign. Construction is currently underway at two other locations: Mid-County and Meramec Valley. These branches are expected to reopen in 2019.

Over 2,100 people attended the grand opening of the new Meramec Valley Branch on Wednesday, May 15. The new branch is located at 1501 San Simeon Way near Fenton, MO. The previous location of the Meramec Valley Branch was the smallest branch in the Library District, measuring 2,690 square feet. The new branch is a full service library encompassing 21,000 square feet.

A large crowd gathered outside before doors opened at 9am. Library Director Kristen Sorth welcomed patrons to their new branch, thanking them for their input in designing the new branch before cutting the ribbon with Library board members, staff and community representatives.

The children’s area of the branch is the third location to feature a Discovery Zone–a space designed to encourage children to engage, play and learn. The space quickly filled with excited parents and children eager to explore. The pneumatic tube wall was especially popular–kids can put scarves and other soft objects into the tubes and watch as air blows them through to the other side. The interactive touch screens doubled as an art canvas thanks to a painting app; kids were also able to play educational games on the screens. The race track had a steady line of kids waiting to build their own cars and time them as they went down the track. The 250-square foot play house was full of kids engaged in imaginative play.

Fenton resident Barbara Doshi attended the opening and said, “I have lived in Fenton for 25 years and I have waited and waited for this library and it has far exceeded my expectations. It is absolutely beautiful! It’s clean, it’s huge and they’ve thought of everyone. You’ve got the quiet area, the children’s area, you have the outside area. I love it, it was worth the wait.”

Other amenities at the new branch include three private study rooms, a quiet reading room, a community meeting room with a capacity of 150, a business center, a community garden (spring 2020), a 1/3 mile walking path, and an outdoor reading deck.

Learn more about the capital improvement projects at St. Louis County Library by visiting www.slcl.org/your-library-renewed. 

Over 2,700 people attended opening day at the renovated Grand Glaize Branch yesterday! The branch is the 15th to be renovated or replaced as part of the Your Library Renewed campaign, which started only four years ago.

The new and improved Grand Glaize Branch is 5,500 square feet larger. The glass enclosed expansion houses a larger children’s area and community meeting room. The new children’s area is brightly decorated in shades of red and orange and includes kid-friendly furniture, interactive learning stations and several reading nooks. Teens will love their new space, which features a textured wall mural, fun furniture and computers. There’s also a new computer lab, where patrons can take free classes on a variety of technology related topics. Other highlights include two updated community meeting rooms, a business center with fax, copy and scanning machines; a café area with tables, a laptop bar and vending machines; a quiet reading area; and three private study rooms.

Over 4,000 people attended the grand reopening of the Florissant Valley Branch yesterday! Families were eager to explore the new Discovery Zone for kids, located on the lower level. The space features a pneumatic tube wall, an interactive light display and two large format touch screens loaded with educational games. There’s also an Early Explorers Area with activities designed for younger kids.

Upstairs there’s a new teen space with bold furniture and colorful fixtures. Three private study rooms have been added to the branch, as well as a quiet reading room, a laptop bar, a business center with fax, copy and scanning machines, and a vending area. 

Over 1,800 people attended the Open House at the new Grant’s View Branch on Friday, March 4. Festivities included a visit by a Clydesdale, balloon art by Walt Starr and a hilarious performance by Christian the Magician. You can see photos from the Open House here.

The Grant’s View Branch has seen record-breaking attendance and circulation since opening last December. To date over 127,000 items have been circulated (a 110% increase over the same time last year) and over 78,000 people have visited the branch (a 150% increase over the same time last year). In addition, over 975 new library cards have been issued.