The Burns Lake Public Library unveiled their newly renovated children’s library last week.
The library started the renovation and a complete revitalization of the children’s section of the library last year in June through a $42,000 funding from Burns Lake Rotary Club/MacEwen Committee.
“Our children’s space was long overdue for an update. As imagination plays an essential role in children’s development, we felt it was important to create a space where imagination can flourish. Dull, yellow, blank walls and a few shelves with books were certainly not the best catalyst for imagination and as we know, imagination is what stimulates children to understand the world around them. We hope that this colourfully enchanting, magical place can be a rich source of encouragement for our youngest community members, a place that will stimulate their imagination and awaken their curiosity for adventure,” said Monika Willner, the library director.
Three local artists Daphne Hourie, Steve Wiljeto, and Kerrwin Vanderwoolf have worked on this project with Hourie still working on several finishing touches. The renovations revolve around the theme of “Enchanted Forest” with dragons reading books, fountains, gardens, mushrooms and three-dimensional trees created by the three artists.
READ MORE: Burns Lake Public Library undergoing renovations in the Children’s Library
“Although we are excited and pleased to be publicizing the opening of the absolutely stunning MacEwen Children’s Library, we are also saddened that the grand opening of this significant accomplishment has been nowhere near the celebration of which it is so deserving. We fully intend, once restrictions are lifted, to offer a Grand Opening worthy of this achievement,” said Willner.
“The last few months of 2020 seemed to culminate if not condense, all the varied struggles since March, with the onset of COVID. The myriad of changes required and the time taken to integrate and perform them in order to continue with our services, delayed the actual opening and prohibited any form of proper celebration. As it was, in order to open when we did, both staff, hired help and volunteers alike, put in many, many volunteer hours to bring about the opening of what well may be, the most creative children’s library in all of B.C., that will proudly bear the name MacEwen Children’s Library,” she said.
While there are still a few unfinished sections of the library and several finishing touches which Hourie would be spending time over, Willner is hopeful that the community, especially the children, would start seeing the library not just as a building that is a source for books but also as a building that is a source for imagination and creativity; a place to gain inspiration, motivation and most of all, knowledge.
“A visually stimulating place to learn, will give our youth inspiration. Inspired youth is our best chance collectively, to become better people as a whole,” she said.
Priyanka Ketkar
Multimedia journalist
@PriyankaKetkar
priyanka.ketkar@ldnews.net
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