Local legislators, dignitaries, and library advocates gathered at the Chester County Library in Exton on Tuesday morning for a grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony of the library’s new digital media lab and teen zone.

The project, which included a total redesign of the library’s balcony, was in the planning stages for more than three years.

“By making more efficient use of the space, we were able to add approximately 1,800 square feet of public space to the balcony area, creating this teen zone, expanding our Jacobs Technology Center, and consolidating the OIC Adult Tutoring Center with library staff workspace,” said Marguerite Dube, Director of the Chester County Library.

“I am very pleased, as a mother of two teenagers, and an avid reader, to celebrate the future of the Chester County Library today,” said Chester County Commissioners’ Chair Michelle Kichline.

Some of the equipment now available to the public in the digital media lab includes 3D Printer, large format flatbed scanner, thermal laminator, die-cutting machine, button maker, iMac computers, surface pros, a digital SLR camera with microphone and photo video studio light kit, and more.

The full list of equipment and software is available on http://www.chescolibraries.org/.

“One of the jewels in the crown that is Chester County is our amazing library system,” said Chester County Commissioner Kathi Cozzone. “The new space in the Chester County Library is open and free – open and free to creativity and new ideas.”

“Libraries of the past used to be places of consumption; libraries of the future are places of creation,” said Richard Hankin, President of the Chester County Library Board of Trustees. “This is as clear of a metaphor as you can have as we stand on this balcony. We are up here in the digital media lab in a place of creation, and look over the balcony down to where we have come from – overlooking all the books and materials of consumption.”

The new Teen Zone will house the young adult (YA) fiction and graphic novel collections. The Teen Zone has comfortable seating for reading, doing school work, or just hanging out.

“My mom was a librarian in the 1950s and 1960s – if she saw this library today – she would probably faint!,” said Chester County Commissioner Terence Farrell. “An accolade we receive, year after year, is that we are one of the best-educated counties in the Commonwealth.

“One of the reasons why is because we have such great libraries and services.”