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Exterior of Auburn Public Library with new addition

The Auburn Public Library’s 2006 – 30,000 sq. ft. addition pays respect to its historic1904 Carnegie Building

New large well-lit children's area

APL’s children’s room is the heart of the library. Photo credit to Russ Dillingham, Sun Journal

Computer lab is heavily used by all ages

Where physical space and cyberspace come together

Auburn Public Library: A Fusion of Tradition Library Services and New Information Technology

Build it and they will come. Sixteen years in the making, the new Auburn Public library is the culmination of leadership, commitment and community.

The Auburn Public Library (APL) expansion project was driven by a need to respond to the increasing demand for cyberspace services.

The newly renovated library offers:

  • a children’s room with:
    • a half-dozen computers
    • specialized software and select websites.
  • A “teenspace” with four computer workstations popular with the after school crowd.
  • A reference area with seventeen internet-connected computers
  • A state-of-the-art computer lab for classes and one-on-one help offered by staff

APL Reference/Teen Librarian Sally Holt is at home there teaching classes and giving one-on-one help. “We’ve been offering small workshops on library databases and the internet for several years, but we were never able to have more than two or three people at a time. Now we can do so much more.”

New computer lab meets different needs

The computer lab is equipped with twelve ergonomic computer workstations. Designed for flexibility; the room can be used as a computer classroom or traditional workstations.

“Computers Ready-Set-Take It-Slow!” is one of our most popular classes. The library staff also offer classes to help people find, evaluate and use information.

Genealogy research on HeritageQuest and Military Records Research are two more popular ones.

When the computer lab is available, individuals may use the productivity software in a quieter setting, away from the other internet workstations in the reference area.

“It’s working out well,” notes Head of Information and Reference Services Steve Bouchard. “By configuring different groups of computers for different purposes, we’re better able to give everyone immediate access while meeting their individual needs.”

So far, judging by the number of people of all ages seen using the Library’s computers, he seems to be right.

Visit Auburn Public Library online.

April, 2007


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