‘It’s just so beautiful’: Gail Borden Library in Elgin unveils newly reimagined KidSpace

Hundreds of kids buzzed around, checking out every nook and nuance of a new nature-themed play area and more at the grand opening of the Gail Borden Library’s reimagined KidSpace area Tuesday in Elgin.

The space, formerly known as the “Early Learning Center,” had been under renovation since January.

Updates include the new play area with three “workshops,” a 15-foot tall, two-sided bubble wall, a “baby garden” play area, new furniture and more.

“With the beautiful backdrop of the Fox River, we have brought nature indoors for a wonderful, imaginative play area,” the library’s CEO Carole Medal told guests before pulling back the curtain.

Veronica Dominguez of Elgin said she and her two kids enjoyed the space before, but really appreciated the improvements.

“It’s much more open. It’s just so beautiful,” she said. “It’s more interactive, and there’s so many more things to play with. I really like the concept of the new space.”

The reimagined space was made possible by donations from the Seigle Foundation, Consumers Credit Union, the Gail Borden Public Library Foundation and the Golden K Kiwanis Club, said Natalie Kiburg, spokeswoman for the library.

Shannon Crosby of Elgin enjoyed some relative calm in the “baby garden” with her 6-month-old daughter Francis.

“I love it,” she said. “I was a preschool teacher before this and we’re trying to do 1,000 books before kindergarten, so this will be the place to go.”

The event also featured a diaper donation drive in collaboration with Enriching Partnerships for Early Learning and St. Paul's United Church of Christ Diaper Ministry.

For ongoing updates and more information about the KidSpace “Reimagined” project, visit gailborden.info/kidspace.