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Bigger, better, beautiful

By LISA BUIE
Published January 22, 2007

LAND O'LAKES - For more than a year, Land O'Lakes parents wanting to take their children to a library for story time have had to hit the road.

The local literacy center on Collier Parkway was shut down for expansion and renovation. Even renting a book has meant walking next door to the recreation center, where a temporary branch is just a bit bigger than a walk-in closet.

But bibliophiles take heart: the wait is nearly over.

If all goes as planned, Pasco County library officials will throw open the doors to an upgraded, expanded building in late March. The new library nearly doubles in size, going from 10,000 to 18,000 square feet.

And once visitors get a look at the huge children's area with its bird sculptures suspended from the ceiling, the extra computer rooms and the meeting room complete with kitchenette, director Linda Allen says, the wait will have been worth it.

"Now it's going to be beautiful," Allen said last week as she rattled off a list of the lush new plants that will adorn the islands in a parking lot twice as big as the old one.

Magnolia. Juniper, Plumbago, to name just a few. Not to mention the live oak and crepe myrtle trees that were left in place.

The theme is native Florida. Look for lots of green.

"We wanted to give it a park-like feel," said Stephen Kershner, Allen's assistant director.

(The branch at Regency Park is undergoing a similar expansion and should open around the same time. It features an aquatic theme. Look for lots of blue.)

Automatic glass doors open to a lobby with tan ceramic tile that replace the brick and carpet. The meeting room is still on the left, but it's about twice as large and has a partition so two smaller groups can meet at the same time. A kitchenette complete with a sink, microwave and small refrigerator will make refreshment serving easier. Need to make a PowerPoint presentation? The room also features two screens. They also can be used to show films on movie nights.

Step through more double doors and you come to the main part of the library. With walls a pastel green shade called willow white and trimmed in tan, it continues the park theme. Even the carpet is green.

An information desk is at the front.

"It used to be all the way at the back," Kershner said.

To the left, in the wing that used to house the entire library, is the expanded children's room.

With heron and pink spoonbill sculptures suspended from the atrium and desks with jungle animal designs, the room invites kids to have fun, Allen said.

"This will be unique to this library," Allen said of the bird sculptures.

The room is separated from the rest of the library by glass that contains noise yet still allows parents to keep an eye on their little ones.

"We wanted a place where kids could be kids, but they wouldn't disturb the adult patrons," she said.

A story room features floors made of recycled tires to allow kids to stretch out for story times. It also makes for easier cleanups.

The area also has enclosed areas for kids who need to study quietly or receive tutoring.

Step across the library and you'll come to the adult section. It also features bird sculptures and boasts 12 computer stations. The branch used to have only six total. Friends of the Library, which used to run book sales on a table in the front, has its own room.

The area will be a lot more like Barnes & Nobel instead of the stereotypical library. Patrons can sit in plush easy chairs and sip nonalcoholic beverages - as long as the cups have lids.

On the front is a teen room complete with plush rocking chairs and more computers. The room also has Plexiglas dividers that can be used to insert posters.

On the outside, one of the most welcome additions is sure to be a new book drop. The drop has two slots: a lower one for cars and a higher one for vans and SUVs.

In the meantime, the branch will make do at its temporary location.

The gray concrete block walls and old tile are a far cry from what lies ahead.

"This doesn't make you feel like it's a library," said Darla Bell of Land O'Lakes. The 52-year-old enjoys browsing for historical fiction and bestsellers. "It's more like a book drop. It's not conducive to browsing."

Natalie Adam, who leafed through a copy of Better Homes and Gardens while her 4-year-old son, Amyn, played Hot Wheels on the computer, said this library is still better than the crowded ones at their former home in New York.

But the new one will be welcome.

"We can't wait for the big one."

Fast Facts:

We've come full circle

This isn't the first time Land O'Lakes has gotten a bigger library. The branch that is now being expanded opened in 1991 and at 10,000 square feet, was eight times larger than the storefront library it replaced. The $954,609 construction cost and the $900,000 spent on books and furniture came from $10-million in library construction bonds voters approved in 1986.

Marge Whaley, then chairwoman of the Friends of the Library, told the Pasco Times on opening day: "It's a real library, and what they had was just a makeshift library."

Library hours: The Land O'Lakes branch library is open the following hours: noon-9 p.m. Monday-Wednesday; 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Thursday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Closed Sunday.

For information: visit pascolibraries.org.

[Last modified January 22, 2007, 07:52:43]