Grimes Public Library

The City of Grimes’ previous library building was 6,400 SF, built in 1994 with the intention of serving 7,000 residents. With the city population having doubled since then and projected to reach over 35,000 by 2030, the existing building was not large enough to meet the community’s needs. This new 22,260 SF building has been described as the city’s new “living room,” with spaces for a wide variety of uses and needs.

The first floor features the children’s area, staff area, and community meeting rooms. The children’s area houses the Children’s Collection, a play area with a climbing wall and slide, and an infant sensory garden. The core of this floor includes a youth staff office with windows for supervision of the space, public restrooms, a family restroom, a comfort room, and a gaming room. The community meeting rooms can host up to four meetings at a time if divided with the acoustic partitions. This area also includes the Storytime Room, with a large sliding glass wall.

The mezzanine level is dedicated to teens/older youth and houses the Young Adult Collection, a computer desk, a gaming area, and several seating options. The second floor is home to the Adult Collection, as well as borrowable games, movies, and audiobooks. The upstairs seating along the large curtainwalls offers an expansive view of the surrounding area and features an electric fireplace. The upper roof is a unique shape often described as a “butterfly” or “open book.