New Library at the Woodlands at St. Barnabas to Have Grand Opening Sept. 6
Library boasts café setting, warm ambience
Gibsonia, Pa. - Aug. 23, 2007 - Featuring hundreds of books, a cozy atmosphere for reading, Wi-Fi capabilities, and a café setting, a new library at The Woodlands at St. Barnabas will have a grand opening with a ribbon cutting ceremony at
4 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 6. The library is located at 100 Lodge Drive on the scenic countryside grounds of The Woodlands at St. Barnabas, one of the St. Barnabas Communities for independent retirees. During the ribbon cutting ceremony,
St. Barnabas leaders will speak.
The two-story building housing the library has been renovated inside and out. The first-floor library features hardwood floors, custom-built and fitted wooden book shelves, a fireplace and a kitchen. It is warmly decorated in soothing neutral tones and furnished with comfortable chairs, reading lamps and small tables. Large windows allow ample sunlight to shine through, enriching the ambience provided by beautifully designed lighting. Ceiling fans, white rocking chairs and handicap accessibility have been added to the front deck, enabling library patrons to curl up with a good book outdoors while enjoying the scenic countryside.
The library's book collection will be arranged and maintained by a volunteer committee of Woodlands residents. Currently, residents have donated approximately 1,000 volumes of books. The library will be open from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m. each day. Book borrowing will be done on the honor system - residents don't need to sign a book out; they simply are asked to return it in a timely fashion for others to enjoy.
"Our vision at the St. Barnabas Communities is to meet or exceed the expectations of our current and prospective residents," said Douglas W. Day, president of the St. Barnabas Communities and senior vice president of St. Barnabas Health System. "The library is one ingredient in our recipe for creating that vision by staying ahead of the curve in terms of the services and amenities we offer at our expanding neighborhood of Woodlands carriage homes."
Begun in 1998, The Woodlands now has 103 one-level spacious carriage homes. Construction is in progress that will expand The Woodlands to approximately 300 homes over the next several years. In June, a large swimming pool and bathhouse opened. Aqua exercise classes are offered several times weekly and residents can enjoy the pool's patio area
furnished with lounge chairs and canopies. Last year, a spacious two-story lodge equipped with a commercial kitchen opened just behind the library. There, residents can meet for card games and recreational activities or host a private party. In recent years, significant improvements have been made to the grounds, including lush landscaping and a large gazebo with benches.
"The library will be a wonderful meeting place for residents of the St. Barnabas Communities," said Don Zolnosky, general manager of the St. Barnabas Communities. "They can come here and read, have a cup of coffee, surf the Internet, work on a puzzle, whatever they like The idea is to sit, relax and enjoy quality reading with the peace and tranquility of country living."
About St. Barnabas, St. Barnabas Health System is the largest health care concern of its kind in Pennsylvania and offers service apart from the ordinary in a faith-based, non-denominational setting. Tracing its heritage back to 1900, the system serves approximately 900 inpatients and residents, plus 35,000 outpatients and home care clients. The health system is composed of the
St. Barnabas Communities, including The Village at St. Barnabas, The Washington Place at St. Barnabas and The Woodlands at St. Barnabas; St. Barnabas Clinical Services, including St. Barnabas Nursing Home, St. Barnabas Medical Center, Valencia Woods at St. Barnabas and The Arbors at St. Barnabas; the Kean Theatre; and St. Barnabas Charities, the fund-raising arm.
Contact:
Kathleen Brenneman
(724) 444-5530
kbrenneman@stbarnabashealthsystem.com
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