NORTHAMPTON — An old storage room in the darkest, most obscure corners of the Forbes Library basement is getting a modern makeover as construction continues on the space that by springtime will be an oasis for youth programming.
Behind the plastic and construction tape in the basement Monday morning, framing was being assembled for a series of “acoustic clouds” or soundboards that will be suspended from the ceiling of the former storage unit. These clouds will hover over newly installed cabinets, chairs and tables, a large mural, a pair of sinks and other furnishings.
The room will give space for a wide variety of child-oriented programming offered at Forbes, including book and gaming clubs, seasonal crafts and events and story hours. Last year alone, more than 5,200 young people attended this array of events.
On the one hand, while the space is being designed specifically for children and teens, the youth programming room will prove to be an asset for every age group, said Sarah Johnson, head of children and young adult services at Forbes.
“We shared a community room with adult programming, and we were coming upon times when we would want to have a children’s event, but the room was already booked for adult programming,” she said. “So what’s nice about this new space is not only are we going to have a dedicated room for kids and teens, but the community room will be more available for the public to book and for more adult programming.
“So it’s like all ages are really benefitting from this new room,” Johnson said.
The room has been designed with several features tailored for multiple age groups to use the space. In the current community room a single sink is used for crafts, and because of its height, children need to use a step stool to wash their hands. But the renovated space will offer two sinks with varying heights so children and adults alike can easily use them, and tables and chairs will also be adjustable.
Initial renditions show an orange and blue color palette, but the room will be painted and outfitted with vibrant blues and greens, and a white countertop with multi-colored specks was chosen. Meanwhile a light-colored vinyl flooring that mimics the look of wood will be installed as flooring.
A wall was blown out to attach the new space to an existing Wizard of Oz-themed room, and once completed a door will separate the two.
Attention muralists
On the left-hand side of the former storage closet there is an open wall that will be a canvas for an artist. Currently, the library is working to hire a muralist to embellish the now barren wall space, and a committee will decide on the final design.
A Guastavino arch, an iconic architectural form introduced in America during the 19th century, curves over the bare wall, and the muralist will have a 12.5-by-10-foot canvas to work with.
The muralist, who is being offered payment between $12,000 and $15,000 to design and install the piece, will be selected during the third week in January. An initial design draft will be due a couple of weeks later on Feb. 9, and the painting process will begin in March before the painting is unveiled during the week of April 20.
Fundraising continues
Fundraising has been the engine keeping the renovation going. Since September, over just a few months span, $17,500 has been raised. That number continues to rise as donations flood in, said Forbes Library Director Lisa Downing. The goal is to raise $50,000.
“It’s really exciting to see how the community is responding,” said Downing, emphasizing the asset the youth programming room will be.
“Kids are so distracted with phones, and as a society, we’re just being pulled in so many different directions that this is like common ground — a place kids can come be together, experience things, and that’s what makes it really special,” she said.
The names of donors will be included in a poster that will be put together by Pam Acosta, an artist on staff at the library, and donations can be made on the Forbes Library website.