Darien Library Receives Major Capital Gift for New Tween & Teen Center

Darien Library announced today (April 28, 2026), a generous $150,000 capital gift from the Riley Family Foundation. This contribution will significantly impact the upcoming construction of a new, state-of-the-art Tween & Teen Center, slated to open in September 2026. A leading-edge makerspace, co-located with the Teen Center, will officially be named “The Riley Family Foundation Innovation Lab” in recognition of this transformative gift.

The Riley Family Foundation Innovation Lab will offer hands-on learning, encourage the development of DIY skills, and inspire creation. The makerspace will feature a variety of high-tech and analog fabrication and design tools—including a 3D printer, a Glowforge laser printer, a Cricut paper-and-vinyl design tool, sewing and embroidery machines, and a digital media station for creating and editing visual and audio content. Classes and workshops will be held regularly for library patrons of all ages, and the equipment will be reservable for self-directed activities. During after-school hours, weekends, and the summer months, the Lab will be exclusively for patrons ages 12 to 18; during the school year, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., the Lab will host classes and open hours for adults.

“The Riley Family Foundation is thrilled to support Darien Library’s exciting new Tween & Teen Library,” commented Angela and Tim Riley. “The establishment of the Innovation Lab will give Darien teens and tweens the freedom to explore their creativity and ingenuity in a dynamic new space. We look forward to seeing where imagination takes them!”

This latest capital gift comes on the heels of the recent public announcement of the overall Tween & Teen Library project. The Riley Family Foundation, whose mission is to provide essential funding for outstanding non-profits making an impact in Fairfield County, is among the early supporters. Their gift, which is enabling the construction and outfitting of the makerspace, is a milestone accelerator for the project, building upon the visionary investment of The Darien Foundation, who is Tween & Teen Library Center’s lead donor, recently granting the Library over $300,000 to kick-start the project.

The idea to reimagine the Library’s Lower Level and expand space for youth has been a goal for several years.

“Anyone who’s visited the Library can attest to how busy we are on a daily basis—and middle and high schoolers are some of our most frequent and enthusiastic users! We’ve outgrown the current Teen Lounge space, and it is the extraordinary generosity of local foundations and families that is enabling this vision to come to life,” says Kiera Parrott, Library Director. “We simply would not be able to create this new ‘library-within-the-library’ without the significant financial investment of the Riley Family Foundation, The Darien Foundation, and numerous other early supporters who’ve stepped up for the kids in our community.”

Mia Orobona, Head of Tween & Teen Services at Darien Library, is excited for the range of possibilities the Innovation Lab will provide. “There is a growing need and desire for experiential, project-based learning that fosters creativity, critical thinking, and technical ability,” says Orobona. “The Riley Family Foundation Innovation Lab will support the kind of experimentation, problem-solving, and collaboration that builds these essential skills.”

Construction on the Tween & Teen Library Center is scheduled to begin in late May, with a projected grand opening in September 2026.

The Library is currently accepting donations for this capital project. Those seeking additional information on how to support the new Tween & Teen Center may contact Teen Library Project Co-Chair Alex Eising at aeising@darienlibrary.org.