New Storytime Room Excites Kids At Wayne Library

WAYNE, NJ — The Wayne Public Library has a new storytime room and new leadership. Children and their parents entered the new room, wide-eyed at all the new renovations, for its grand re-opening Sunday.

A patron speaking with Library Director Ricardo Pino called the former children's area a "dungeon." Pino couldn't disagree. But the new, brighter room better accommodates the kids who visit for storytime, crafts and more.

"It was really about brightening it up and making it more fun for the kids," Pino told Patch. "The analogy I use is that this is a blank canvas at this point. What we want is for the kids to be able to start helping us decorate this room to see what it can turn into."

The new room represented one of the library's major accomplishments since Pino became director. Previously working in marketing and human resources, Pino decided about 15 years ago to make a career change and get his master's degree.

After serving as a librarian in Passaic, Pino became West Milford's library director when they got a new building. He took the helm in Wayne about a week before pandemic restrictions began, according to Mayor Christopher Vergano, who attended the reopening.

"Welcome to Wayne, don’t go to work," Vergano joked about when Pino started the job.

But the Wayne Library began curbside service before most others and ultimately reopened its doors before most, according to Pino. The library began letting people inside again July 10, 2020.

On Sunday, kids and parents were finally able to see the new storytime room. The room features a multi-colored floor space for crafts and messier activities, along with a carpet for storytime. The library also got lighter furniture it can easily re-arrange for different activities.

The wall features a colorful strip that lists kid's favorites, such as "Harry Potter" and "Alice in Wonderland." But the blank walls provide potential for additional decoration.

The library broke in the room with surprise guest Wonder Woman, who read stories and played games with the kids. Staff put in plenty of work behind the scenes during the pandemic and could finally show the community.

"During times of crisis, people can fall apart or pull together," Pino said. "We seem to have pulled together here, for which I’m very proud."

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