Orland Park Public Library Renovations Complete: Take A Look

ORLAND PARK, IL — The Orland Park Public Library has announced the completion of its ongoing renovations and additions to the facility. The library said the project has been completed on time and on budget.

The library said patrons entering the lobby of the building will be met with a "bright welcoming environment" that offers a "customer service-friendly layout," including two self-checkout stations, the Lucky Day collection, Patron Pickups, and soft seating. In the future, the library said visitors will be able to see the In Recognition Wall, highlighting patrons and local stakeholders who have donated to the library’s capital campaign over the years.

"Welcome to the Children’s Library where you will be greeted by a nature-themed portal that highlights the library’s More Than Grass mural," said Assistant Library Director Mary Adamowski. "Children will marvel at the different flora and fauna of the Orland Park area which is represented here. The entire mural can be viewed in the Preschool Area of the Children’s Library. Two additional study rooms have been added to the Children’s Library, for a total of six rooms that offer a quiet place for children to study."

The In-Between is an area created for children in grades 3 -5, featuring room for studying, crafting, gaming, visiting friends and more. The preschool area of the library also has a new design that Adamowski says encourages children to "curl up with a good book in one of the newly designed book corrals." Adamowski said the story time room now features clear acrylic doors that let natural light pass through. There are also quotes from classic children's books on the wall.

The library now has two rooms called The Nest, which offer a tranquil area for mothers to nurse their children in privacy. "Though nursing in public in the library is also permitted of course," said Adamowski.

The Darvin Furniture & Mattress Sensory Room was created for patrons with special needs, according to Adamowski. The room provides a gentle atmosphere for those who enjoy a relaxing and quiet area highlighted with specialty lighting, engaging tactile activities and soothing acoustics, Adamowski said.

The library said the large meeting room has also been expanded to allow nearly 200 visitors to sit comfortably and enjoy a historical retelling, a musical concert or an educational lecture when the library fully reopens again. Two large screens have been installed, so everyone can view the event and listen along with "pitch-perfect acoustics."

"The Friends of the Orland Park Public Library is front and center in their new “bookstore” location directly across from the main staircase,” Adamowski said, who is also the Liaison to the Friends of the Library. “Patrons are welcome to browse the gently used books, DVDs, audiobooks and more from The Friends organization who generously donates the proceeds to the library for programming for patrons of all ages."

The library's second floor Teen Loft is a teen’s dream space come true, according to Adamowski. Teens in grade 6-12 have their own enclosed area with two study rooms, study pods, bench seating, a gaming area, a DIY craft table and multi-seat study table.

The library said The Computer Lab now houses 15 stations for patrons to use while participating in tech classes offered by the IT team. An add-on to the lab is the ability to project tech information from the lab’s projector to the reflective glass along the corridor, so patrons passing by can learn something new, the library said. The Today’s Business Solutions Tech Center offers the newest tech devices for patrons to discover such as the Glowforge 3D Laser Printer, VHS to DVD converters, Cricut cutting machine and Mac computers, according to the library.

Adamowski said the north end of the building features Quiet Study Rooms, which have been renovated to Multi-Purpose Rooms that can be used for small community meetings, book discussions, scout troop gatherings and more, when the library allows people to book meeting rooms again. Two additional study rooms that can seat four patrons have also been added.

"The crowning touch to the library’s renovation project is the addition of an outdoor nature center called The Backyard," Adamowski said. "Through the generous and thoughtful donation by the Aileen S. Andrew Foundation, The Backyard offers patrons of all ages a place to enjoy the beauty of nature through all four seasons."

The library remained open throughout the pandemic, adding new features for residents to use such as pick up materials using Grab ‘n Go, bring a Take ‘n Make craft home to create, homebound delivery and access to virtual book discussions, video story times with the library’s youth librarians, lectures, and community panels online.

Adamowski said the library is still in phase 3.5 of its COVID-19 reopening plan. All patrons visiting the library are asked to wear a mask, social distance and sit one person per table, until phase 5 of the library’s reopening plan is enabled.

Library staff returned to the library building on May 11, 2020 after working from home. The library building first introduced curbside pickup, then appointments were available starting June 15, 2020. The library has been open to all without an appointment since July 1, 2020 except for days closed due to cleaning after a staff case of COVID-19.

The library’s COVID-19 reopening plan can be found on the library’s website here. The library said patrons interested in learning more about the library are encouraged to call the library at 708-428-5100 or visit the Library at 14921 Ravinia Ave. Hours are Monday-Friday 9 to 9, Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Hours of operation have not changed due to COVID-19, however study rooms, meeting rooms, and stays of more than 2 hours in the library are not currently available.