Children's Library Field Trip

Rhett had the opportunity last week to visit the new public Children's Library with the school math team.  I was happy to get to go and spend time with R, and I really enjoyed the informative tour given by the library's architect.  He was so generous with his time and answered many questions from the kids.  It was all interesting to me.  I loved hearing about the inspiration and thought process for the building's design, details about the lighting and materials used, the landscaping and how it represents different regions of our state, etc.  Maybe I had more fun than the kids!  

If interested, you can read more information here.

During the tour, the library director visited with the kids.  He was full of energy and ideas and you could just tell he loves his job!

Ninety-seven percent of the steel used for the building is from recycled materials (cars, etc.).  The wood used is all from Arkansas, mostly pine, because it is a fast-growing tree that can be replaced within ten years.  The stone used on the outside of the building also came from in-state.

The math team with the director and the architect

theater

The kids all loved this cool flooring.

Next stop of the tour, the test kitchen then the green house.  Here's part of the "why" for the kitchen and the greenhouse taken from this article: 

Early on, the design team polled groups of children on what they wanted to see in their library, and many of those ideas were extrapolated into the current design.

“The No. 1 thing was learning how to feed themselves,” Rowland said. “The majority of these kids get off from school and either get home and their parents are still working, or the parents are not home yet. Some of the kids may not see their parents until late in the evening.”

That led to the development of a teaching kitchen. McClure said the kitchen will offer cooking classes that will help children understand nutrition and how to efficiently buy groceries.

Taking that idea further, a greenhouse and garden was built on the edge of the library’s property, which will be used to help children understand how food travels from the farm to the kitchen.

“What we’re doing is forming connections in the minds of kids,” McClure said. “So they’ll say, ‘Oh, wow, this is no big deal to put a garden in our back yard, because at the library it’s all we did.’ We’re trying to connect the things kids learn in school with the more hands-on, inspiring things at the library.”

There was a class going on in the greenhouse, so we didn't go inside this time.

raised garden beds

A sweet group of kids!  Thankful for a fun day with Rhett.