SAINT LOUIS, Mo. — The Clark Family Branch is a new and exciting library set to open in St. Louis County at the beginning of July. It culminates a 10-year plan to upgrade libraries throughout the county, but this branch specifically was part of a tear-down that moved the headquarters out to Spoede Road and demolished the old headquarters for a new space.
Here are five reasons you should check it out when it opens.
1. The library has a new adult area with workstations.
As soon as you walk into the front doors, you'll see the new adult section to the left -- it has many wide open seating options and several workrooms and offices.
"When we asked people what they wanted, they said they wanted study rooms," Executive Director Kristen Sorth said.
Sorth joked that someone told her they would have trouble getting people out of the space. The adult section has many books, breathtaking art and a fireplace.
2. The library has an oral history room where you can record your family history.
When you walk upstairs, you'll find several screens where you can type in your name and start discovering your origins -- from famous relatives to historical images. The oral history room is not too far from that and you will be able to record your parents or grandparents and record an audio file or video file of their stories.
"It's really going to be fun," Sorth said. "And I think it's really valuable for families."
3. The library has a digitizing room.
If you have an old VHS tape or DVD, you'll no longer need to send it to a service. The library will be able to handle your digitizing needs, and you can regain some space in your house.
4. There is a brand new kids section that is similar to a popular playhouse in St. Charles.
Before in the old building everything was brown. Sorth said, "You could not differentiate children and teens and adults."
But now there are designated kids areas that scream kiddos. For example, one area "town" looks just like the Play Street Museum in St. Charles because it was commissioned to help build the play area! Even the bathroom light fixtures look like balloons, and there are reading nooks for the littles.
5. The teen section is just for teens and includes incredible technology.
The teen section is full of fun with a gaming room, a green screen, a creative space, and a recording studio.
"We wanted a space where teens could be teens," Sorth said.
There is so much more to mention -- the new landmark event space will be a highlight for the community and already opened with a book talk with Grammy-award-winning musician Darius Rucker. 5 On Your Side's Rene Knott served as Rucker's conversation partner.
A parking lot has also been revamped to serve as a walking trail and outdoor seating area. There will be lots of spaces for people who want to utilize the library for meetings, small businesses or nonprofits.
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