Children’s Library Discovery Center at the Queens Central Library

I’m currently serving Jury duty in Jamaica, Queens. Of the three possible courthouse locations that I might serve in, Jamaica is probably the most inconvenient and furthest away (for all of you familiar with the LIR Jamaica Station/Air Train Transfer, the courthouse is very near by).  Jury duty is not a pleasant experience, but a necessary civil duty, and I’ve been doing my best to make the most out of the experience. Luckily, it’s 2011 and the courthouse has wireless, so it’s just like being at work – except with a number of disgruntled strangers and bailiffs.

One convenient opportunity that the Jamaica location offers is its close proximity to the Queens Central Library with the newly opened Children’s Library Discovery Center. The Discovery Center is self-described as, “a little bit museum, a little bit classroom, a little bit playground – and all fun.” It’s about a fifteen-minute walk from the courthouse, so I decided to visit after we finished up for the day. While this renovation within the larger Queens Central Library has been in the works for years, I was literally shocked when I stepped inside.

Before I describe my experience, I want to make one thing clear: I think that the library in Jamaica, Queens, is one of the most valuable public resources I have ever seen in action. At 5:15, the Library was packed.  EVERY computer station (over 30) was in use on the first floor, with a large line of people waiting to get online. EVERY seat in place was being used with people reading. EVERY table was at capacity with people of all ages studying. Everyone in the library seemed to have a sense of purpose, and felt comfortable. That said: the main library building is not pretty. It needs a lot of work, and they have an ambitious plan to redesign many of the older spaces.

The Children’s Discovery Library is pretty… and engaging, and entertaining, and a much needed breath of fresh air in larger Central Library. The new expansion was designed by 1100 Architect with the interior of the CDL designed by Lee H. Skolnkick Architecture + Design Partnership, the same group that designed our Education Center at the Rubin Museum. In regards to the CDL, I was impressed with the overall interior design, the interrelation of science exhibits within surrounding library stacks, and the standout features that definitely make the library a place to remember.

The overall design was exciting and vibrant.  It was easy to find different sections, and the overall way-finding was clear.  On the floor was a large map of Queens, and I was excited to see how they represented my neighborhood (Astoria).

I was really taken by how different science exhibits were interspersed within and around library stacks. This is always so difficult to pull off in galleries. Often we want to put the resource books for an exhibition topic somewhere in the gallery, and books are usually hidden in a small corner bookshelf – this concept was somewhat turned on its head by placing the exhibits within the shelves. Also, I really admired the use of whiteboards and tack boards throughout the space behind exhibits, which made the exhibits more personalized. I felt that this sent a permanent statement that the exhibit could always be re-imagined by the librarians.

I also found that the fun features the designers inserted throughout the CDL created an amazing feeling of curiosity and whimsy. Brightly colored ceiling sculptures created memorable vignettes throughout the space. I was really impressed with mirrored, sea-life mobiles that hung over a space devoted to books about water. There was also a huge wave and aquarium, both things that I could imagine children wanting to see every time they visited.

Overall, I felt that the designers combined many of the best aspects of children’s museums, science museums, and libraries, and created a new type of environment for learning. My hope is that the Children’s Discovery Library is a huge agent of change for the rest of the library.

The NY Times featured this library in an article about the revitalization of the New York’s Public Architecture.  Here’s the link.