In the impressively stunning, light-filled, two-story
space, there’s something for every bibliophile and
bibliophile-to-be, as librarians Lori Hancock and Laurie
Nawor welcome all ages, toddlers to the older set. The
two longtime colleagues are proud of their fresh, new,
inviting area, and rightly so. From day one, they have
delighted in the exuberance of visitors about Taylor’s
“giant windows,” with blinds on top, bottom, and sides.
On the walls across from those windows are several
larger-than-life-size, TLS-green silhouette trees that
seem to grow from the sunshine streaming throughout
the entire space. Days of dark and dusky libraries are
gone forever.
The librarians are enthusiastic about details that
had been on their wish list and are now dreams come
true. This library is much quieter than before. In the
horseshoe-shaped library of yesterday, noise traveled to
both sides easily, since there were no doors to close, no
sound barriers. Donna Hutton, Preschool Head, fully
agrees, saying, “Previously, young readers were easily
distracted by others in a nearby area. Not so, now,
in the Junior Library. They have a cozy space with a
door, and it feels like they are so ‘with me’ here. The
library layout is doing exactly what it’s intended to
do. The students are not distracted, yet the glass walls
allow you to see the other library. It feels open.” For
instance, on a recent morning, second graders met in
the Junior Library, with the glass-paneled door closed.
They never noticed an entire middle school Spanish
class working across the way at the collaboration tables
in the shared project area. Because of the multi-purpose
furniture, there was plenty of room when the second-
grade activity moved into the big room, the classroom
area of the Upper Library. The entire atmosphere was
conducive to both collaborative and solo work.
Serpentine bookshelves add a happy twist. They
beckon a reader immediately, especially sixth graders,
who have made their library a favorite home whenever
they can. Mrs. Hancock says, “They consistently make
library their top choice during breaks, especially the
new sixth graders, and we love that. Nothing’s better
than seeing a reader curled up in one of these big chairs
with a good book in the middle of the day.” Austin
observes, “The curves are abstract.”, while classmate
Davis says, “I like how modern it is. There are more
books, and they’re easier to find.” Charlotte gets to the
point, saying, “I like how much bigger and nicer the
library is. There is more space to hang out.”
Mrs. Hancock, in her 16th year at TLS, steps back to
give background: “The old library was charming. As I
was becoming a school librarian, the stories I heard were
from that library. Sandy Ireland [at left; TLS librarian
from 1978 - 1993] was my graduate school professor
and mentor. For 15 years, I’ve loved that library. I wasn’t
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