Bozeman Public Library plans fall update for children’s section

BOZEMAN, Mont. — The children’s area at the Bozeman Public Library is set for a renovation later this fall as the library updates a space staff said has not kept pace with how families use it. 

Other major parts of the library have already been renovated, but the children’s section had remained unchanged until now. Library staff reported the area gets heavy use as part of a building that sees about 1,000 visitors each day. Over half the materials in circulation come from the children's section, said Ellie Newell, director of youth services. 

Newell said the space has aged after years of constant use and no longer fully matches current needs. 

“We are worn a little threadbare and we have been loved a little bit to death. So, things are just wearing out, and the way that we serve patrons and the way that patrons use the library has changed in the last 20 years," she said. "So, we're really looking forward to building a beautiful, safe and durable, children's space in the library." 

Newell explained that changes in kids' programming and feedback from parents helped shape the renovation plans. Families raised concerns about noise and about being unable to easily watch children in different play areas at the same time. 

"That's something that we really heard in community feedback, is that caregivers really want to be able to see both their little one and their big kid playing at the same time,” Newell said. 

The updated children’s section will improve visibility between play spaces and focus on features that better fit modern use. The library also planned new materials and furniture that staff said should be easier to keep clean. 

The renovation is expected to cost about $1 million. Funding is set to come in part from the county interlocal agreement that provides tax dollars to the library and mostly from the Bozeman Library Friends and Foundation, said Janay Johnson, CEO of the Bozeman Library Friends and Foundation. 

Through Give Big Gallatin Valley, the foundation raised more than $130,000 to help pay for the project. Fundraising is still underway. 

Johnson said the children’s space holds meaning for many families across generations. 

“I get to hear over and over how much people love the library and, particularly the children's space," Johnson said. "Maybe it was a place that their parents took them and was really important to them. Or they brought their own kids here, or sometimes now they're bringing their grandkids here. But it's a place that people feel very passionately about,”  

Renovations on the children’s section are scheduled to begin later this fall.