(La Porte, IN) - A touch of natural beauty has been added to La Porte’s downtown in the form of a reading garden at the county library’s main branch. The newly landscaped addition faces Indiana Avenue on the library’s south side.

 

It’s a beautiful outdoor space— ideal, as Shakespeare would say, for the public to walk abroad and recreate themselves.

 

It’s also functional, complete with free WiFi. According to library Director Fonda Owens, “it’s very much like a park, but it is fully equipped with WiFi and charging stations for electronic devices.”

 

Owens said the library plans to host outdoor activities such as movie nights and children’s story time. The center of the garden features a large grassy area for holding group events. Not far from the garden, on the other corner of Harrison Street, a new storage garage has also been recently completed. The garage features a large porch and grassy front lawn. Owens said that area can also be enjoyed by the public.

 

The corner of the reading garden facing Indiana Avenue features a sculptural arrangement inspired by Isamu Noguchi, the internationally acclaimed modern artist who got his start in La Porte. The sculpture was made from the library’s original granite steps which are currently being replaced.

 

All of the recent improvements to the area around the main branch have been paid for using existing tax revenue.