Carson’s Corner Library

In 2022, Mac met with local Girl Scouts to discuss the possibility of redesigning Stewarts Caring Place’s library to be a more teen-friendly and healing co-work space. The troop had rightly observed that the library felt dense and not very comfortable. With support from the Carson Strong Foundation, we were able to work with local partners and artists to bring the Girl Scout’s vision to life.

From 2022-2024 we worked with the Girl Scouts and Stewart’s Caring Place’s team on an iterative approach to redesign the library:

• Phase 1 – Optimizing existing assets
  We shifted the shelves, tables, and chairs to open up the space and provide more room for visitors.

• Phase 2 – Small changes, BIG improvements
  The Girl Scouts wanted to make the library feel more like a book store, and worked with Elizabeth’s Book Shop to acquire more teen-friendly books. The team also observed that all of the books in the library were arranged with the spines facing out, which made the library feel very serious and a little intimidating. By categorizing the books and rearranging the shelves to feature different titles with covers facing forward, the mood of the room was substantially elevated.

• Phase 3 – Creating bespoke amenities
  Davey Tree generously offered to donate wood for the production of a custom-made co-work table and tree bookshelf to serve as iconic features of the redesigned library space. We partnered with Kontur Woodworks to create the table and bookshelf, and with the Jones Group to identify furniture that fit with the design scheme of Stewart’s Caring Place while creating a more intentional and comfortable space for teens.

• Phase 4 – Completing the vision
  We transformed the security light into a snowy owl, produced the collaborative Carson’s Canyon painting, installed a waterfall white noise machine, and completed the construction of the tree bookshelf with an LED canopy.

Carson’s Corner Library has become the favorite room at Stewart’s Caring Place for many visitors and staff. Visitors can explore a wide range of titles for kids and adults, and lounge in comfort or work together with friends. This project transformed the library from a dense and under-utilized space into an uplifting and healing place for learning and community.