New Look for Anderson Branch Is a ‘Refreshing’ Change at Library

Written by Denise Scretchen, Manager of the Anderson Township Branch Library

The renovation process at Anderson has truly been an adventurous one, culminating in functional upgrades that our customers love. We closed temporarily on April 16 to update the carpet, paint, furniture, shelving, and more. It has been quite a journey to remove every single item off of the shelves, then return those same items to new shelves, plus all of the work in between.

Our branch library is open once again! When you visit, you’ll notice a lot of awesome changes; open space with abundant seating, a new desk station near the entrance to the children's room, and more quiet spaces.

Changes to Better Serve Minds of All Kinds

Based on the input of more than 3,000 people during community engagement sessions in 2019, the branch library will now better serve Minds of All Kinds.

The upgraded children’s area is a delight with a walk-in playhouse, a stationary STEM vehicle for learning parts of an engine, new display units, brightly decorated shelves, open seating, and carpet that looks like a roadway beside the playhouse and car.

The new marketplace is where many high-demand items for adults are now located: new arrivals, Lucky Day books, movies, holds, and music. With comfortable seating, our customers have a spot to take a break and browse through their selections. It’s also a great place where customers can catch up with one another to sit down and chat.

We received many requests for more quiet spaces in which to study, read, and hold small meetings. The Library delivered. We now have an adult, quiet reading room sponsored by the Anderson Township Library Association (ATLA). This room is home to our ATLA collection of books that focus on art, history, and culture. It has comfortable seating and houses our periodical collection. A cozy fireplace is being installed soon.

In addition to the Quiet Reading Room, we have two new study rooms that our customers can use. The reservable spaces are near the teen area and study pod.

The teen area is now spacious with more comfortable seating and computers. Soon, we’ll have a television for teen programs. We’ve had several excited customers who have been complimentary of the new furniture, layout, and place to call their own.

We are very excited about these incredible improvements. The upgraded bathrooms have beautiful tile flooring, tile walls, and new plumbing.

We received so many positive comments about the renovations, and customers have said it was well worth the wait. We are open for in-person service, and with more team members to help the community. We hope you’ll come in to check out all that your library has to offer. Welcome back!

View the gallery of photos documenting the refresh process on the Building the Next Generation Library section of our website.