Youth & Teen Services Renovation
Waukegan Public Library is excited to announce that the renovation of the Youth & Teen Services Department has been approved by the Library Board of Trustees. Aside from the adjacent Early Learning Center, the lower-level youth space, which serves preschoolers through middle school students, has not been updated in 25 years. Project timeline, designs, FAQs, and updates will be added to this page throughout the project. Funding for this project was provided by the Illinois State Library, a department of the Office of the Secretary of State, using Public Library Construction Grant Funds.
Design
The renovation will include a new open entry and service desk, 4-person group study rooms, study furniture and comfy seating, vibrant new carpet, additional computer stations, and exploration stations, along with new face out shelving for picture books to promote easy browsing and book selection by young children and families, book displays, new paint colors, and bilingual signage. The exploration stations are a creative addition and clever use of space that will promote hands-on STEM learning, artistic expression, collaborative gaming, and reading in small group nooks.
Timeline and Service Impacts
The project is scheduled to take place from mid-March through the end of June. During the remodel, the Youth Services Desk, selected book and audio collections, and seating will be relocated to the Bradbury Room. Programs listed in our Spring newsletter will take place in other areas of the library, and kids’ computers will be available by reservation. The Early Learning Center will be open during scheduled hours. Please call ahead or check our online calendar for dates and times.
Grand Reopening
A celebration will be scheduled for this summer once the renovation is complete and all new furniture, shelving, and signage are installed. Watch our website and social media for an announcement.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): The Project
| Q: What is happening in the Lower Level? | A: Our latest building improvement is a renovation of the Library’s Youth & Teen Services area, which has not been updated in over 25 years. Construction will include a new open entryway with adult and child size archways, 4 group study rooms, new study tables and chairs, new comfy seating, new service desk, and explorations stations to support collaborative learning, STEM skills, creative expression, nature connections, and just plain fun and games! The department will also be repainted and carpeted, with new displays, face-out books shelves to inspire our youngest readers, and improved signage so you can more easily browse and get what you need. |
| Q: That sounds nice, but is it really necessary? Why do this now? |
A: Modernizing library spaces and inspiring young people of all ages to read and take part in the life of the community is an important focus of the library’s 2024-2027 Strategic Plan. While the library’s ELC offers an engaging and hands-on space for our youngest patrons, the larger youth area has cramped 2-person study rooms that are not ADA compliant, inadequate seating, severely worn carpeting, lack of signage and crowded shelves, and a dated look that does not allow exuberant use of the space. |
| Q: Who is the Library using to make this project happen? | A: The Library has built a strong working relationship with Product Architecture + Design, a firm that has completed distinctive library projects in the Chicagoland area, including Waukegan Public Library’s ELC and first floor remodel in 2015. The construction firm that was awarded the public bid contract is Boller Construction, which has worked on many government and educational projects in Lake County, including WPS60 and College of Lake County. |
| Q: How is the Library paying for this project? | A: The Library is paying for our project from two different sources. The library’s operating budget and capital savings are funding 80% of this project, and additional funding for this project was provided from the Illinois State Library, a department of the Office of the Secretary of State, using Public Library Construction Grant Funds. |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): Impact
| Q: Will the Library remain open during the project? | A: Yes. The first floor will remain open to the public and all spaces will be available as usual. The Youth & Teen Services Desk and some collections will be relocated to the Bradbury Room while construction and carpeting is happening in the youth area. The lower–level Maker Space, computer lab and classrooms will remain open, and the ELC will be open at a reduced schedule (M-F 10am-12pm, 3-6pm and 1-5pm on weekends). Areas that will be inaccessible during the project will be the youth restrooms and the Comfort Zone/Sensory Room. |
| Q: Will it be noisy and dusty? | A: We ask for your patience during this time as it is inevitable that there will be some noise and dust during a construction project. The construction company will be doing their best to minimize both by putting up dust barriers and plastic to contain the dust, as well as doing the noisiest work in the hours before the library opens. If you have concerns about dust, please ask for a face mask, available at our service desks. |
| Q: Will you still be able to walk through the lower-level hallway to access open spaces? | A: Staff will adjust on a daily basis to ensure that all available areas are accessible. This may mean that there will be a designated walkway through the lower level accessible from the first floor or that staff will escort patrons via staff stairwells and elevators. Whatever each day brings, staff will be on hand to assist you. |
| Q: Will parking be impacted during the construction? | A: We do not expect there to be any impact to public parking. |
If you have any questions, please feel to stop at any public service desk, or call Amy Grossman at 847-623-2041 ext. 254.
