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Places to Play: Mattawan library shows its love for books

Fran Wilcox | The Kalamazoo Gazette By Fran Wilcox | The Kalamazoo Gazette
on January 13, 2012 at 2:00 PM

MATTAWAN — The Antwerp Sunshine Branch of Van Buren District Library is a small, community library with a small but well-stocked children’s area.

play.jpgThe Antwerp Sunshine Branch Library offers bins of picture books in a small but welcoming children's area.

The children’s area has just a few toys but lots of books. A world-map rug in the corner delineates the play area, which has small bins of toys, including wood cars, lacing cards, one puzzle and stuffed animals.

My 2 1/2-year-old kept asking where the toys were, which made me feel our Portage Public Library membership has misled her as to what libraries are all about. She also was determined to play games on the children’s area’s sole computer, but alas, it was for the card catalog only. No computer games here.

That’s because Antwerp Sunshine is clearly all about books. The small play area is dominated by two tables with chairs and shelves, shelves, shelves and bins of books.

The children’s area is accented with some sweet murals. The “Sunshine Treehouse” on the wall by the play rug features height markings and a variety of little touches. Ringing the room, high up by the ceiling, are scenes of a farm and a biplane as well as a series of scenes showing kids reading in different settings during each season of the year. “Reading is fun all year long,” the mural declares.

This is clearly a sentiment held in Mattawan. Although the library was very quiet when we visited, librarian Jennifer Wall said it usually is pretty busy.

“Of course, it can change in a matter of minutes, the noise level and number of people,” Wall said.

Wall said patrons appreciate the collections of board books and familiar characters and a beginning-readers series on one set of bookshelves.

My toddler appreciated the easy access to Curious George.

The library also has bins of picture books and shelves of juvenile fiction and nonfiction, movies, audio books and magazines. Seasonal books are pulled out for displays. New releases are featured, as are books for Mattawan students’ Battle of the Books competition.

Throughout the year, the library also offers family story and song times, walk-in craft projects and a big summer reading program.

This year, the Antwerp Sunshine Branch Library celebrates its centennial with a yearlong party. A variety of programs will celebrate the library and, of course, its clear reason for existence: books.

Coming next week: Kids 'N' Stuff Children’s Museum in Albion.

Each week, we report on a different place to play in Southwest Michigan. Have an idea for Places to Play? Send an email to Fran Wilcox.
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