Families bringing young children to Burlington Public Library will find new things to play with at several branches: a magnetic sensory wall at Brant Hills, a gear wall and light table at Tansley Woods, and light-up walls at Alton and Central. The library says it has been refreshing its children's areas throughout 2026. Aldershot's turn comes later this fall, with a light table and a wall-mounted interactive play panel.
The upgrades are supported by a legacy gift from the Estate of James Williams, money left in a will, and by donations to its Kids Learning Fund.
When the refresh was announced on May 5, the plan was to update play spaces at the seven-day-a-week branches, with most of the installation in May and June, in time for Summer Reading Club, the summer reading program for kids.
Brant Hills got its new features while the branch was shut for construction at the community centre that houses it. It reopened Thursday, Oct. 15, after an extended closure, and staff say the magnetic sensory wall has already become a favourite with children of all ages, including older kids and tweens.
An everbright, the light-up wall at Alton and Central, is a big interactive Lite Bright that a whole family can work on together. The relocated New Appleby Branch, home of the Draw Alive animation activity, is in the Robert Bateman Community Centre at 5151 New St. And at several branches, new Touch2Play screens, touch-screen play stations, have replaced older children's computers.
| Branch | What's new |
|---|---|
| Brant Hills | Magnetic sensory wall |
| Tansley Woods | Gear wall, light table |
| Alton | Everbright light-up wall |
| Central | Everbright wall, building materials, creative activities |
| New Appleby | Draw Alive animation activity |
| Aldershot | Light table, interactive play panel (later this fall) |
