01 Aug Pawling Library Ready to Break Ground on New Children’s Room
The Pawling Library has some great news to share: they are getting ready to break ground on their new children’s room, the Kids Corner! The ground breaking ceremony will most likely be held in September, and everyone in the community is cordially invited to attend.
The Kids Corner has been a dream project for the Library Board of Trustees for many years, starting in the early 2000’s. The Pawling Library, founded in 1921, was originally housed on the second floor of what was then the Pawling Firehouse (currently the Pawling Village Hall.) In 1963, with the help of generous donors, the Library moved to the building at 11 Broad Street. The Library building was expanded in 1973, and renovated in 2002. The Library also acquired and opened the Library Annex next door in 2000 to use as a dedicated programming space.
As the Library steadily continued to grow both in the number of patrons served and in the number of programs offered, it found itself bursting at the seams and continually seeking more room. In 2014, a generous donation from an anonymous donor encouraged the board to propose an ambitious expansion of the Library by building a second floor, which would have included a new children’s room. Unfortunately, the potential costs for the upward expansion were prohibitive. The Board of Trustees decided to set aside that donation, earmarking it for a future children’s room, and they continued to look for ways to build it.
In 2019, the Library Board began planning for the Pawling Library’s Centennial birthday. The board implemented a full year of special programming and celebrations with a 1920’s theme, and decided to use the occasion to raise funds to build the Kids Corner. Many people in the Pawling community were enthusiastic about the new room and generously donated to help make it happen. By the end of the last Centennial event, a Great Gatsby Gala in May 2022, the Library had raised over $170,000 for the Kids Corner!
In August of 2022, the Library applied for a building permit from the Village of Pawling. Since that initial application was submitted, the Library has been tied up in the permitting process for about two years. From questions to revisions to structural changes, the Library has worked tirelessly to clear every hurdle they have come across, including an unexpected and expensive asbestos study. As you can imagine, these unexpected obstacles have substantially increased the costs of the room. The board has made a commitment to continue fundraising until the project is completely paid for.
The new Kids Corner will reflect Pawling’s beautiful natural surroundings and status as an Appalachian Trail Community. With plenty of windows and high ceilings, the room will feel more spacious than its small footprint suggests. The design includes space for children’s programming, including storage for teaching materials, as well as an area for our children’s computers. In keeping with an Appalachian Trail theme, local artist Ned Reade has agreed to paint a tree mural for the room, which will be based on the famous Dover Oak located where the Appalachian Trail crosses West Dover Road. (Did you know the Dover Oak is over 300 years old and is the largest white oak tree on the Appalachian Trail?)
The tree mural will also include leaves made of wood, engraved with messages and names of families who made donations to build the Kids Corner. These were a popular fundraising item at the 2022 Gatsby Gala, and the Library Board plans to open this fundraiser again to help pay for the budget overruns caused by the unusually lengthy permitting process.
The Library staff and board are eagerly anticipating the completion of this project in just a few months and can’t wait to see children enjoying the new space. Children’s Program Coordinator Neena McBaer said, “I am so excited for families with young children in our library to finally have a space all their own to read and play together. There will be an oversized, comfy storytime chair in the corner, perfect for the many grandparents who bring their grandchildren in to settle into while exploring new books.”
Pawling Library Director Chris Fisher added, “After this long journey I am incredibly excited to begin work on the Kids Corner – and even more so to share the completed space with our community! Libraries have changed a significant amount since our library was built in 1963. Little thought was given to how different the needs of our youngest patrons are. I am excited for them to have a space of their own. A space that wouldn’t be possible without the incredible generosity of this community of library lovers.”
–by Amy Emke
(Amy Emke is President of the Pawling LIbrary Board of Trustees.)