Families, supporters and community members celebrated the grand opening of the Children’s Cove at Ponte Vedra Beach Branch Library on Saturday, July 11. More than 200 people came out to explore the transformed children’s space after a three-month closure for the library’s first major renovation in three decades.
“The Children’s Cove is a magical space where you enter a zone where literacy and reading and exploration is rewarded,” said Kim Odom, branch manager. “We have books and so much more, we have engaging activities for parents with children from birth all the way up to those busy teen years.”
The renovation transformed a beloved space that served generations since the branch opened in 1993. Formerly known as the Children’s Area, the Children’s Cove integrates the area’s coastal elements in its new theme voted on by patrons. The refresh’s features include improved visibility and safety, flexible seating and gathering spaces, durable new furnishings and flooring, expanded shelving, and interactive learning areas designed to encourage imagination and exploration.
“Families are looking for a place that’s free, that is welcoming, where their children can learn and they can meet friends and family here,” said Robyn Carr, youth service librarian. “It’s become a destination for a lot of people in the community, and we have watched friendships develop between parents who started with their children in the baby time and they still come.”
The Children’s Cove reflects the investment of its community. The nearly $500,000 renovation was funded through community donations and fundraising efforts by Friends of the Library Ponte Vedra Beach, a volunteer-led organization that supports the branch.
“When we started looking at whether this could be our next project, this was something that we really wanted to do, so we funded the entire thing, and I think it really speaks to the community,” Mary Gebhart, president of Friends of the Library Ponte Vedra Beach.
For more information about the St. Johns County Public Library System, go to sjcpls.org.
