LEWISTON, Maine — A million-dollar campaign to transform the children’s department at the Lewiston Public Library is officially underway.
The library kicked off its READy to GROW campaign with a celebratory "Dream Big" event aimed at sparking imagination in young visitors and giving the community a glimpse of what’s to come.
Victoria Stanton attended with her daughter, who joined other children in imagining and sketching their ideal library space.
“This event has been so fun, watching my kiddo bounce around and express her creativity,” Stanton said.
Among the ideas shared were dragon sculptures hanging from the ceiling and disco balls casting rainbow lights. While these visions may seem ambitious, Deputy Director Sara Turner said they are exactly the kind of innovative thinking the library hopes to inspire.
“Dream Big is about their imaginations,” Turner explained. “What do they want to see? That’s what we care about.”
The children’s department remodel will focus on creating a modern, interactive space that reflects the needs of today’s creative thinkers. The campaign’s goal is to raise $1 million, allowing the library to upgrade the space and offer more opportunities for engagement and learning.
“We want to create something more long-lasting for the kids today,” Turner added.
Located in Maine’s second-largest city, the Lewiston Public Library is one of the only places in the area where families can access free resources and enjoy a welcoming space. Turner emphasized the library’s unique role in the community.
“You don’t have to buy anything to be here,” she said.
The campaign has already inspired excitement among the library's regulars, like Stanton and her daughter.
“I just know it's going to really enhance the way families interact with the library," she said.
If the children’s department evolves as imagined, it could become a magnet for creativity and community.
“I think what’s exciting is thinking about the future of that space as a magnet that she wants to be in and be at, because she knows it’s a space where she can really let her imagination run wild,” Stanton said.
The READy to GROW campaign is just beginning, and library organizers are counting on community support to bring the vision to life.
Saturday's event was free, but donations were being collected. Turner said they are about a quarter of the way toward their funding goal and will begin renovations once they hit the halfway mark.