The Kalona Public Library opened its new outdoor family area with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Saturday, closing the books on a Washington County Riverboat Foundation grant it received in the spring 2024 cycle.

The new outdoor area includes a swing, tunnel, child-sized game table, and benches for families. The library is still workshopping the name of the new installation, having referred to it at different points as a playscape, family area, or pocket park.

Kalona Library Director Olivia Kahler described her goals for the new space, “People who find themselves downtown in the evening or on the weekends after we’re closed, we’d still like [the library] to be a destination, a place where you can come and hang out for a little while. Maybe you went to Yotty’s and got some ice cream and you need a place to sit down and eat. Come on over, we’d love to have you in our little pocket park outside the library.”

The WCRF grant was awarded to the Kalona Public Library Foundation, which is providing matching funds, in April of 2024 for $16,245. In addition to the outdoor area, the grant funded the purchase of new books, a Kindle for children to use, iPads for teaching adults how to use the technology, and “stay sharp kits” with interactive material for elderly patrons.