A showstopping children’s library that invokes magic and delight

The much loved and heavily used Children’s Library in St. Helier’s Town Library was starting to look decidedly tired and dated, so when funding was identified early in 2024 the time was right for a refit. We believe that when a child walks into a library it should be an unforgettable experience. To inspire little ones to keep coming back to their library to read, learn and play, it is important that a children’s library is colourful and exciting. For us, a children’s library represents an opportunity to create a magical world of discovery by capturing their imagination using bold colours, fun graphics, and customised furniture. A child may be a new library user, but the perfect child’s zone can inspire and create a life-long library user.

The focus was very much on the children’s area because children and families are very much at the heart of the library service. Regular programmes of baby bounce sessions, story times, author visits and holiday activities underpin a key service supporting children’s literacy. It’s important to the Jersey team that children associated reading and the library with high quality services in a welcoming, safe and inspirational environment.

The vision was to create a library that would engage and inspire, to create a Children’s Library would be a ‘destination venue’ for children. From initial conversations with children and parents it was apparent that they wanted space for activities and also nooks to curl up with a book in. Alongside that we needed a space that would be flexible, to allow for large events as well as quieter reading spaces.

We believe reading and the library space should be fun for children. If children are having fun reading (on their own or with an adult) they will continue to read, helping them develop life skills. If having fun doing so, they will want to return – like a circular economy, have fun, read, have fun, return! Research suggests that Children also think with their bodies. So, our Children’s Library designs connect the mind and body to books.

Of course, in Jersey, we needed to go with the sea theme so there are sea animals across the walls, a beautiful lighthouse in the special reading area and throughout the library there are boats filled with books. Importantly the library also includes a sensory area, a feeding chair, and "clouds" hanging from the ceiling which act as acoustic mufflers to reduce noise.

Given the geographic challenges the island posed, being an ‘off-shore’ customer, working with the team at The Design Concept meant regular online meetings were supplemented by in-person visits, to check measurements etc. The week of the fit-out was like something from Changing Rooms, as Design Concept arrived on-island en masse and set to work with great purpose and focus. Where necessary new parts and decorations were swiftly sent across from the mainland, ensuring the refit stayed on track and we were able to reopen ahead of time.

The Jersey team thought it was great to be able to walk through 3D renderings of the designs. This was really helpful to get a sense of how the space would work, plan out stock layout and pick up any issues that needed to be addressed before the refit. As the designs developed they were shared with key stakeholders, including the Ministerial Team, communications team and community partners. This was really helpful in terms of sharing the vision for the space as we closed the old Children’s Library for the refit.

Edward Jewell, Chief Librarian, Jersey Library Services; President, Libraries Connected:

“ It’s been wonderful to hear the reactions of children as they walk into the new Children’s Library and to see how they interact with the space. It’s not unusual to see young jaws drop as they cross the threshold and to hear wails of disappointment as parents try to take small people home. We very much wanted to keep books and reading at the heart of the new Children’s Library, for it to really encourage reading. The new design has succeeded in achieving this. We frequently see children sat in the various reading nooks, absolutely lost in a book. The story telling area is proving popular, particularly the story throne, and the sensory kiosk. The practical details have also worked well. The noise baffling clouds have helped calm excited sounds escaping into the rest of the Library and the feeding chair went viral on X locally, after a mum posted her appreciation of it. It’s fair to say thedesignconcept have delivered on their brief of creating a space that engages and inspires."