The gardens could include a stage, walking paths, meeting areas, lights, Wi-Fi, and an interactive “story loop.”
Director Bryon Lear says, with the help of Shive-Hattery, a design firm, engineering and design work is set to start this fall, and construction is planned for the spring.
"Library services continue to evolve, and spaces in public libraries now are just as important as the collections, or the programs that are held inside the building."
But the (figurative) seeds for the project were planted two years ago.
"A couple of years ago, the library was able to acquire this one acre parcel of land right behind the library."
"There were actually two structures on the property, a house and a garage, those were taken down last year, and that really, basically left a blank canvas for us to imagine a new library space."
The $1.4 million project will be paid for using grants, contributions from local charities, and donations. In the next two weeks, the library will start fundraising. Information about donating is on the Moline Public Library website.
