The Natrona County Public Library is a library that has been serving the community for over 60 years. Finding themselves behind today's technological advances and the wealth of information on the Internet, the library was dealing with a loss of patrons, particularly with young adults. On any given day the typical population for the young adult library dropped to 5- 10 teenagers, but instead of abandoning teens, the director wanted to update their area to better suit their wants and needs.

Design Problem:

Due to space limitations the library had to convert the 1,100 sq. ft. “Wyoming Room” into the “Teen Zone.” The library is a facility that is funded by the community and through grants. Before this project could even start to develop, time was needed to acquire the $35,000 necessary for execution. This part of the library needed to appeal to teens 12-18, as well as incorporate technology suitable for this generation. Space was also needed for the existing stacks of fiction, science fiction, non-fiction, and periodicals.

Design Solution:

The theme that drove this project to success can be identified as “Coffee Shop, Comfortable.” Casper doesn't currently have many coffee shops, and the shops that exist are very popular with the teens. The use of different textures, colors, shapes, and furniture helped to create a feel of an eclectic coffee shop; á la “Central Perk.” Two different carpets were seamed together to create an eye catching detail that mimicked the arch of the ceiling. Two types of ceiling tiles were implemented in a pattern to create a unique textured feel. Because the original ceiling height made the room smaller, tile was removed in some areas, and the deck was painted. Taking the arch as the basic shape, curved bookshelves were developed and have actually increased the space for materials, and an additional curved wall was added to give kids a safe place to watch DVD's or TV. And of course there needed to be computers with the latest games. Purple, red, yellow, blue and green were selected to update the walls and help with eclecticism. The library also wanted a place for teens to be able to have a snack or a soda during their visit, so a concession area was developed that now houses two Pepsi machines and a candy vending machine. Different height tables and chairs were used, an extra large bean bag was used for the TV area, and comfortable reading chairs that looked like big pillows were included. When it came time to choose the upholstery it was important to have unique, funky fabrics.

The project has been a complete success! In speaking with the Young Adults Librarian, she has stated that everyday is a new surprise with the amount of teens using the space, at least 30 daily! Now she actually has to inform the teens that it is “time to go home!”