The size of the new East Bank Regional Library has been a lighting rod of controversy recently, but there is no debating the fact that the building will be a huge addition to the parish’s library system.
The building, which is scheduled to be finished by the end of the year and open to the public by the end of 2009 or early 2010, will have a similar collection of books, magazines and periodicals as the current east regional library. However, the new 39,655-square-foot space will allow for several unique additions that should thrill residents of all ages, Library Associate Director Leann Benedict said.
Though the building will be two stories, the first floor will house all of the public areas. This will include both a large children’s area and a dedicated room just for the youngsters.
“The children’s area was designed specifically with kids in mind,” Benedict said. “The furniture will be fun and kid-sized and there will be some cool kids’ rugs. We are also going to have computers for the kids in that area that will be specifically for them to use.”
A separate children’s room will give younger kids a place to take part in the library’s many different activities, such as interactive story time sessions.
Along with the dedicated space for kids, there will also be a separate area just for the teens. In this area, which will have all of the age-specific books, teens can congregate to read.
“The area will have a teen-vibe with some cool furniture and fun things for them to do,” Benedict said.
As for computers, which is one of the main reasons that residents of all ages visit the library, there will be double the amount that are currently in any parish library.
“There will be an area with computers and a separate area with a computer lab for the training classes that we offer,” Benedict said. “When we are not offering training classes, the lab can be used by residents as well.”
The library will also have five study rooms and two meeting rooms. The small meeting room will hold 20 people, while the larger room will hold 70.
“The meeting rooms will be used for library programs, but members of the public can also schedule to use the meeting rooms,” Benedict said.
The second floor of the library will hold all of the administrative offices, including the technical services department that will order books for the entire library system.
When the library is completed, Benedict hopes that the system will be able to expand upon the numerous services and programs that the library already offers. But they aren’t waiting around for the completion of the building for that.
In the past six months, the library system has added three new programs to its online site. In one of the programs, students across the parish just need a library card to have access to a tutor from 2 p.m. until 11 p.m., seven days a week.
“The online tutoring and homework help program, called Brain Fuse, is where all students from the 3rd grade to high school level can log on and connect with a tutor,” Benedict said. “All of the tutors, who help with homework or skills using chat, are certified and are experts in their respective fields.”
The library system also allows residents to download audio books to their computer or iPods over the internet using a program called OverDrive, and offers a program called Mango Languages, which is a free service that allows anyone to study up to 12 different languages.
“The library system always looks at what our community needs and tries to provide services to meet those needs,” Benedict said. “The new library, along with the three new online programs we are offering, will help us accomplish that.”
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