[Michlib-l] Library Park Responses
Sharon Crotser-Toy
scrotsertoy at gmail.com
Tue Mar 14 11:01:56 EDT 2017
Thanks so much for all of the great responses to my "what do you do with a
library park" question!
Several people asked to see the results so I'm sharing them, below:
- Last year, we added a Gaga ball pit on the lot to encourage any one of
any age to get outside and exercise. This also went well with the SRP
theme "On your Mark, Get set, Read!" Kids and families use it often in
good weather. We keep a ball at the library for use when we are open. We
used money donated and designated for Youth by an individual.
- We own the property – the whole neighborhood has access. So far we’ve
only used it for gardening classes, butterfly garden planting classes,
nature photography classes. We also have our little free library in it –
along with paths and a bench. For us – it just beautifies the lot where a
church was torn down in front of our library. But, our city naturalist
has found it useful for programs that we sponsor with him as listed above.
- Last spring we partnered with our Township Dept. of Parks & Rec to
install a StoryWalk® in a park in the library neighborhood. It was a fun
and successful project and will continue again this summer.
- We got a grant a couple of years ago to make a butterfly garden
- Our library/township office is on a nature preserve and surrounded by
a large trail system. While that may not be your situation, I will share
some things we've done (the Township also) that the public has responded
positively to and could be replicated on a smaller scale
1) Native Gardening - We have become recognized for planting
only native Michigan plant species which has even led to an endangered
butterfly living on our grounds. We hold a workshop
about it yearly. This year we are hosting Drew Lathin from sustainable
landscapes
http://www.creatingsustainablelandscapes.com/ He's going to talk about
landscaping with native plants.
2) Storybook Trail - In partnership with the Parks n Rec dept.
we have basically put up plexiglass sign holders along the trail walkway
and they show each page of a storybook so that you have to
walk the whole trail in order to read the whole story. Kids get excited to
run down the trail and find page 2, etc.
- We have a beautiful park on library property. The local Rotary club
planted and maintains the garden. We cut the grass and pay for the water
that goes through our sprinkling system. The city empties the trash
receptacles and installed and maintains the lights. Rotary pays about
$4,500 a year to keep the garden weeded. They sell brick pavers to cover
that cost. http://www.rochesterrotaryclub.org/Stories/rotary-gateway-park
Our library has another beautiful garden in our "backyard". We paid for
the garden when we opened the library and have five volunteer gardeners
that maintain it. Their fearless leader is a master gardener.
- At the Genesee District Library’s Headquarters building we developed a
part of our lawn area into a reading garden with the help of our local MSU
Master Gardener’s program. The Master Gardeners received a grant and did
all the work of planning/designing and planting the garden areas. They put
in a brick paved path leading to the reading area and fencing to separate
the garden from the parking lot. Through donations and some of the grant
money they planted a wide variety plants: hostas, roses, irises, hydrangea
bush, etc. GDL gift funds provided the cement benches for sitting. The
gardener’s come and perform routine maintenance on the plants/gardens every
spring and fall. Sometime this spring, they will be putting in a compost
bin towards the back of our property. They will teach our staff on how they
can help add to the compost bin. We will have a program with them for the
public on the benefits of composting at home. It’s a win-win for us and for
the people going through the Master Gardner program!
- The garden is there for our patrons to sit and read on nice days, use
it when they want/need to talk on their cell phones, and story hours for
kids in the summer. We have used it as over-flow seating area for our
outdoor jazz concert by the group Straight Ahead. We will most likely use
it for the composting program later this year.
- - See if there is a master gardener group in the area. They might be
willing to put in some display / learning plots or take care of things like
the butterfly garden.
- - If it is right by the library you might look at lending out yard
games, maybe even on the hourly basis so you have a good chance of parts
not going missing. Things like bocce, kubb, lawn bowling, etc. Our giant
jenga (can't be named that) has been really popular and if you know a
carpenter you could build yourself:
http://www.aadl.org/catalog/record/1493380
- - If you have a larger park then you might look at getting a grant for
a small pavilion on one end for performances or outside story times. You
can also hang a sheet and do movie nights. Think I've seen one place that
rented to local music artists as a venue to help pay for upkeep but you'd
have to decide if that fits.
- Our library has a park next to it. It's a wonderful asset. We have
held yoga classes, Easter egg hunts, teddy bear picnics, Pokemon walks,
summer reading activities, and more in the park. It's great to see
storytime families extend their time together by going for a picnic lunch
and play in the park after storytime. Ours has a 1/3 mile paved walking
path that is nice to use during good weather. I go out there for a quick
walk to clear the cobwebs out of my brain occasionally.
--
Sharon Crotser-Toy
Director
*Watervliet District Library*
333 N. Main Street
Watervliet, MI 49098
269-463-6382
Connects People, Inspires Ideas, Transforms Lives
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