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Courtesy of St. Louis County Library
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Courtesy of St. Louis County Library
When St. Louis County Library reopened the doors at its its newly renovated Florissant Valley branch yesterday, its youngest patrons found far more than picture books and kid-friendly computer stations.
The branch (195 New Florissant) boasts the library system’s first Discovery Zone, a whole floor packed with interactive educational features, activity stations, and, of course, plenty of age-appropriate materials available for check out.
“We are designing the space to encourage children to explore, play, and learn as part of the Every Child Ready to Read program,” says Kristen Sorth, director of the county library. “That program recommends that kids learn through things like interactive play and trial-and-error challenges.”
The Every Child Ready to Read program emphasizes the importance of playing, talking, singing, read alouds, and seeing writing in their everyday lives as critical to kids’ development of early literacy skills.
The Florissant Valley branch’s Discovery Zone includes such features as a set of pneumatic tubes where kids can release lightweight scarves and balls and control their trajectory through the tube maze; an interactive light wall, similar to an oversized Lite Brite, where kids can create colorful, illuminated displays; and a large-format touch screen where kids can play educational games aimed at expanding literacy skills. The Discovery Zone also includes an Early Explorers’ Area with activities designed for small children, such as interactive literacy panels, a metal tube maze with moveable rings kids can navigate through loops and arches, and cozy reading nooks.
“And, of course, the whole area is filled with books,” Sorth says. “So, not only do we have fun, interactive things for the kids to explore, we have shelves and shelves of books.”
The Discovery Zone is part of the overall $3.6 million renovation at the Florissant Valley branch—one of the 19 branches renovated or replaced by the multi-year campaign to upgrade locations in the St. Louis County Library district. Two other Discovery Zones, at the Daniel Boone branch and the Meramec Valley branch, are planned as part of the campaign. Sorth says library leaders hope the branches will become magnets for kids and families, and she expects staff will develop additional programs and activities inspired by the new spaces and their features.
“We had conversations about what we do for families and kids in the region, and we felt like this was a great addition, and that it promotes engaging, interactive, and educational features right next to traditional library resources,” Sorth says. “I think we really want to make the branches destination locations for children and families.”
