Library Recovers From Hurricane Ian

AND YOU ALSO WERE COVERING ANOTHER CELEBRATION TAKING PLACE IN CHARLOTTE COUNTY. >> THAT'S RIGHT. I WAS IN CHARLOTTE COUNTY WHERE HURRICANES ARE NOT ABLE TO DAMPEN THE EFFORTS OF REBUILDING AND THE SPIRIT OF ENTHUSIASM AMONG THE COMMUNITY IN TRYING TO REBUILD FROM THE GROUND UP. AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED AT THE MID COUNTY REGIONAL LIBRARY ON SATURDAY. IN PORT CHARLOTTE, THE MID COUNTY REGIONAL LIBRARY, C'EST CELEBRATED ITS GRAND REOPENING NEARLY 4 YEARS AFTER INCURRING DEVASTATING DAMAGES FROM HURRICANE IAN. THE WHITE DOUBLE DOORS OPEN TO REVEAL A CAVERNOUS SPACE OF DIVERSE OFFERINGS. THE BUILDING CONTAINS NEW TECHNOLOGY RESOURCES, HISTORY CENTER AND STUDY POTTS. WE'RE LIBRARY PATRONS CAN FOCUS ON THEIR WORK IN CREATING THIS PLACE FROM THE GROUND UP. LIBRARIANS HAVE THE EXCITING OPPORTUNITY TO IMPRINT THEIR VISION ON STATE OF THE ART FEATURES. ACCORDING TO THE LIBRARY SUPERVISOR, HONDA BROWN. WE'VE BEEN HEARING ABOUT THE STUDY PODS ANDS. >> BUT WE SHOULD TRY. IT WOULD ADD SOME. >> QUIET STUDY SPACE IN THIS BIG OPEN BUILDING THAT WE HAVE AND >> SO IT'S LIKE, OKAY, HOPEFULLY PEOPLE WILL BE AFRAID TO TRY THEM. >> YOU KNOW, I I WONDERED IF IT WOULD FEEL LIKE YOU'RE IN A FISHBOWL ARE SOMETHING LIKE THAT. BUT NO THERE THERE ACTUALLY WONDERFUL. YOU CAN GO IN AND SLICK. TAKE A DEEP BREATH LIKE THE SILENCE IS SO NICE. REALLY. >> GROUPS NATURALLY GRAVITATED TOWARD THE SPACES OF ZEN. IN CONTRAST TO THE SIDE OF TRANQUILITY, ONE-THIRD OF THE LIBRARY LAST THE CHATTER OF TRUMP WE PLAYED AND LEARNED IN THE CHILDREN'S SERVICES. THE DESIGN OF THE SECTION WAS METICULOUSLY PLANNED AS YOUTH SERVICES LIBRARIAN ASHLEY EXPLAINED. >> SO AT COUNTY LIBRARY, OUR BOOKS ROLE WITH OUR READERS. WHEN YOU WALK IN, YOU SEE OUR BABIES AND TODDLERS PLAY AREA AND THEN YOU WALK THROUGH TO OUR PICTURE BOOKS AND THEN HIDDEN IN A CORNER. WE HAVE OUR LEGO CORNER. ARE BUILDERS CORNER? AND THOSE OF FOR A TRANSITIONAL READERS ARE KIDS THAT ARE READY TO BEGIN READING THEIR CHAPTER BOOKS. AND THEN AFTER THE CHAPTER BOOKS, WE PUSH INTO OUR TWEENS SPACE. SO THEY HAVE A LITTLE SPACE AS WELL. AND THEN OUR YOUNG ADULTS HAVE A SPACE WITH THEIR GAMING AND ALL OF THEIR BOOKS. AND THERE'S A SPLIT IN GENRE SO THEY CAN REALLY FIND THEIR KNEES AND KEEP READING GOING THROUGH ALL OF THE DEVELOPMENT AND JUST CONTINUE THEIR LIFELONG LEARNING, WHICH IS OUR GOAL. >> AT THIS LIBRARY EVEN CERTIFIED THERAPY DOGS ARE ACTIVE PARTICIPANTS AND HELPING CHILDREN WITH LIFELONG LEARNING. CJ MAN BE BROUGHT HER DOG LAKESHORE TO MINGLE WITH THE LIBRARY. PATRONS. >> NATIONALLY, THE SOME DOGS HOURS IN SLOW KIND OF I THINK, ARE MADE FOR THIS WAR. IS IT? THEY JUST LOVE BEING OUT OF PUBLIC, MAKING NEW FRIENDS. SHE AND SHE'S IN HER CARE. THEY'RE JUST SOME DOGS ARE VERY CALM, LIKE LAKESHORE. SHE'S LAZY, ISN'T IT? >> NEW CANINE COMPANIONS SAT STILL AND GENTLY LESSENED AS YOUNG CHILDREN LIKE VIOLA PRACTICE, READING SKILLS THE LIBRARY ALSO HAS A ROOM WHERE GUARDIANS CAN ASSIST CHILDREN IN CREATING SOME ARTWORK THAT'S INSPIRED BY THEIR MEETING. THERE IS A SERVICE FOR THE OLDER ADULT PATRONS WHO MAY BE INTERESTED IN CONDUCTING RESEARCH ON SOUTHWEST FLORIDA'S HISTORY. ONE SECTION OF THE LIBRARY IS DESIGNATED AS THE CHARLOTTE COUNTY HISTORY SECTION. JENNIFER IS OPEN LINE WORKS AS A HISTORIAN OR WE'VE HAD SO MANY PEOPLE EVEN TODAY. >> THAT JUST CAME IN JUST TO SEE WHO WE ARE AND WHAT WE DO AND LEARN MORE. SO I'M HOPING THIS SPACE BECOMES A TALKING POINT AND THAT MORE IN PEOPLE LEARN ABOUT THE RESOURCES THAT WE HAVEN'T LEARNED ABOUT WHO WE ARE AND WHAT WE DO AND AND HOW MUCH HISTORY THERE IS HERE BECAUSE I THINK THAT SOMETIMES GETS LOST AS WELL. >> ANY OPPORTUNITY TO IGNITE THE LOVE OF LEARNING MEANS MISSION ACCOMPLISHED FOR THE MID COUNTY REGIONAL LIBRARY AND THE ATTRACTIVENESS AND MODERN FEATURES OF THE NEW FACILITIES ONLY MAKE IT A WELCOMING PLACE. >> AND THIS REOPENING IS A PRETTY BIG DEAL, NOT JUST FOR BOOK LOVERS, BUT ALSO WHAT IT MEANS FOR THE GROWTH OF THE COMMUNITY. >> YES, THAT'S RIGHT. AND WHAT SES FASCINATING TO ME IS THAT A PUBLIC LIBRARY IS A REPOSITORY OF ACTIVITIES AS WELL AS SOCIAL SERVICES INCREASING THE OVER THE YEARS BECAUSE I REMEMBER EVEN ABOUT 20 YEARS AGO, THERE WASN'T SUCH A PLETHORA OF ACTIVITIES. SPONSORED BY THE LIBRARY, BUT NOW THERE ARE IMPORTANT PARTNERSHIPS WITH PUBLIC SCHOOLS AS WELL AS DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS AROUND THE COMMUNITY ARE THAT CONNECT ONE TO ANOTHER AND BECAUSE SENSE THE POTABLE EXCITEMENT WHEN PEOPLE WALKED THROUGH THOSE DOORS TO PARTAKE OF THOSE INTO EXCITING ACTIVITIES. IT IS A BEAUTIFUL FACILITY IS NOT. IT IS ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL. AND THERE WERE MANY TECHNOLOGY RESOURCES AS WELL AS THERAPY DOGS THAT WERE ON HAND WONDER TO ACCOMPANY THE STUDENTS WHO ARE READING THE BOOKS TO THEM AND I'LL HAVE A PACKAGE ON THAT LATER NEXT WEEK. SO PLEASE STAY TUNED. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SHARING THE STORY WITH US YOUN-JOO. THANK YOU, JENIFFER