Patrons of all ages had the opportunity to make their mark on the walls of the Albany County Public Library in Laramie.
The Albany County Public Library (ACPL), a recipient of Wyoming Library Multi-Purpose Community Facility Program (WLMCF) funds, kicked off their construction projects with a community event on October 5 at their main location in Laramie, Wyoming. This event was hosted by the ACPL Foundation, with support from the Sally Dieterich Fund.
The ACPLS Foundation has employed several cartoon characters, created by Favian Hernandez, to promote their construction efforts. “The characters appear on signage showing patrons where new areas will be located, were outlined on the decorating walls, and were depicted on the cake at the kickoff celebration.
Members of the Albany County community were invited to enjoy cake and punch, as well as paint on one of the walls surrounding one of the areas involved in the ACPL’s WLMCF construction projects. Members of the ACPL staff, members of their library and foundation boards, children and adults from the Laramie community, and UW basketball players all added their own personal touches to the designated walls. Paint, paintbrushes, paint pens, and plenty of cleaning supplies were on hand to allow all participants to let their creative juices flow.
“We take a lot of pride in being a vibrant and engaging place for our community. The WLMCF funds will help us improve and expand our public gathering spaces to match that goal,” said ACPL Director, Rachel Crocker. “We knew we had to celebrate this incredible opportunity by inviting our community to leave their creative mark on the space, and we’re grateful to the ACPL Foundation for making that possible.”
Three of the Wyoming State Library staff members on the WLMCF committee, Abby Beaver, Wyoming State Librarian; Anne Kuipers, State Publications Librarian and WLMCF Chair; and Christi Weinzierl, Communications and Grants Specialist, attended the event and added their work to the walls.
The ACPL’s construction projects, which include the renovation of two public gathering spaces and the creation of a family activity center, will be completed by the fall of 2026.