The Santa Clara County Library District has begun work on building new children’s spaces at each of its seven branches, with the goal of improving early childhood literacy for the district’s young patrons.
County librarian Jennifer Weeks said the effort is a result of the district’s setting its priorities in 2023, which included focusing on building the foundations for literacy among its patrons. Each library, from Saratoga to Gilroy to Milpitas, will have an updated children’s area with a special child-size door to enter the space, reading nooks, an ADA-accessible slide, balance activities and more.
The Saratoga Library will be the first branch to see a children’s space built; construction began on Jan. 20 and is expected to be completed by mid-March.
“By creating these enchanting and interactive spaces, we want to support that essential early literacy skill-building and then really ultimately instill a love of reading,” Weeks said.
The updates mean that the Saratoga Library’s children’s area will be closed for the duration of the construction, Weeks said, but the library’s community room will be accessible in the interim.
The new children’s spaces will also reflect the area surrounding each branch. New robot characters and circuits in the design of the new structures are a nod to Silicon Valley, but themes like “redwood romp” in Saratoga emphasize the towering trees and heritage fruit orchard that surround the library.
“Children will see things that they recognize, but they’ll also have this magical element to them,” Weeks said. “Our goal is to connect people, to make sure that we have resources that they need that can really help them in their lifelong learning. We know that these spaces will kind of attract new visitors to the area, to the city, and really hopefully build those bonds.”
Saratoga City Council members lauded the library district’s efforts during a presentation at the Jan. 15 council meeting.
“The vision looks exciting – well thought-out, creative, innovative and engaging,” council member Kookie Fitzsimmons said.