At a time when so much of life happens on screens, our kids and teens need a real place to be together. Just like them, Forbes is growing—renovating our Children’s and Young Adult spaces to give young people a brighter, more welcoming home.
Support the Youth Programming Room
This fall, construction began on a new youth programming room that will enable the library to increase programming and the number of families it serves. The room will be located in the children’s department, adjacent to the Wizard of Oz Room in the children’s nonfiction section in space that was most recently used for storage. The room will be specifically designed to meet the needs of children, teens, and families and will free up the Community Room, the library’s other main programming room, for adult events, thereby enabling the library to serve more patrons of all ages.
“We look forward to having a programming room that will be bright, welcoming and comfortable for our young patrons,” said Lisa Downing, Library Director. “This space will be an integral part of the community and will open up countless opportunities for children and teens to learn, explore, and build new friendships.”
The youth programming room is being made possible by funding from the City of Northampton through the Capital Improvement Plan as well as additional funding by the Friends of Forbes Library and private donations.
Funding to furnish the room is still needed and the library welcomes donations from the public. Please donate today towards outfitting the youth programming room with child-sized furniture, technology, and other equipment so that it can be an accessible, flexible, inspiring place for children and their friends to gather and learn.
With your support, the Youth Programming Room will feature:
- Adjustable-height tables that can be wheeled away during storytime and wheeled back out later in the day for teen events
- Storage space for craft and storytime supplies
- A/V equipment
- Two sinks: one at standard-height and one at a lower height that will be easier for children to reach
- Colorful mural created by a local artist
More Ways to Help
- Donate Online
- Mail Your Donation
- Join our Bookshelf Builders Society
- Bequests / Deferred Giving
- Charles Forbes Legacy Society
- Donate with a Greater Northampton Gift Card
- Donating Books and Media
- Donating Stocks, Bonds or Mutual Funds
- Forbes Library Store
- IRA Qualified Charitable Distributions
- Marie Hershkowitz Memorial Children’s Book Fund
- Volunteering