 At Fort Washington, the children's room occupied the upper story of an historic Carnegie branch library. The room was grand but over scaled for its diminutive audience. The original casework at the perimeter had charm but was in poor condition. The circulation desk -- a large corral of sorts -- was no longer needed and had become more of an obstacle within the space. Finishes were tired and lighting in the 18' high space was inadequate. 

NYPL Fort Washington Branch Children's Room

 Jennifer Sage, of Sage and Coombe Architects, discusses the design of the children's reading room at the Fort Washington Branch library on West 179th Street. The goal was to breathe new life into a series of older and uninviting children's reading rooms in branch libraries that were otherwise not slated for renovation. Beyond their physical condition, the libraries also needed to catch up in character and program to become essential parts of a modern library system. Children's reading rooms are increasingly becoming resource centers for much more than books: internet access, homework assistance and afterschool reading programs. Courtesy of Sage and Coombe Architects 