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Shute Park Library: A Welcoming Environment for All

Post Date:09/16/2024

With new amenities debuting and a fresh look designed to welcome and serve the community, Shute Park Library staff are inviting everyone to visit and say hello.

Anchoring the campus that includes the Shute Park Aquatic & Recreation Center (SHARC), the Hillsboro Community Senior Center, and the 13-acre Shute Park, Shute Park Library continues to adapt and evolve, creating a vibrant hub for learning, creating, and connecting.

“Shute Park Library is busy all day long,” says manager Magdianamy Carrillo-Sotomayor. “These new features, enhanced services, and updated policies will help all of our patrons get the most out of what this library has to offer.”

Here are some upgrades and enhancements patrons can expect to see at Shute Park Library now and in the future.

Furniture & Amenities

One of the first upgrades patrons may notice is Shute Park Library’s new furniture.

Hard-to-maintain soft seating and ottomans have been replaced with round tables and chairs. The eight, honey-toned table and chair groupings quickly caught on as work/study areas.

“They were instantly filled with students working on homework together,” Carrillo-Sotomayor says. “The design invites collaboration and socialization.”

For a more relaxed vibe, patrons can sit in the “living room.”

This area, positioned in front of the check-out desk, features two newspaper/periodical racks and four custom lounge chairs. Four more chairs, arranged in pairs, are found in different spots. Upholstered in vinyl for easy maintenance, these comfortable seats invite reading with their clean, modern aesthetic.

The computer area’s newly installed charging bar lets patrons juice up personal devices while using City technology. This popular area is always bustling with activity. For those who need computer access in a quieter spot, the library is debuting The Pod. About the size of a phone booth fitted with a stool and desk, The Pod gives users acoustic privacy while remaining visually connected to the rest of the space.
The Pod with Staff Standing in doorway

“It’s perfect for online activities like job interviews, telehealth appointments, or college testing,” Carrillo-Sotomayor explains.

The Pod can be reserved for two-hour slots. Patrons can bring their own technology or soon they can check out a laptop kit that includes a laptop, mouse, and headset.

“We will also install signage that promotes library resources, like LinkedIn Learning courses,” she adds.

Finally, look for an upgraded entrance coming in 2025. The new entrance will change out pull doors for automatic sliding doors.

“This will make the entrance accessible and more inviting for everyone,” Carrillo-Sotomayor says.

Bilingual Staff, Digital Navigator

Many Shute Park Library patrons speak Spanish as their primary language. Library staff reflect that, with 12 out of 19 bilingual employees. Most volunteers are fluent in Spanish as well.

“It really makes us part of the community,” Carrillo-Sotomayor says.

Staff are constantly training and upgrading their knowledge base to best serve Shute Park Library patrons. This includes learning about the many resources and services offered by WCCLS, including:

job listings
interview skills help
homework help
resume translation services
and much more

Shute Park Library is also proud to host a digital navigator starting in September.

Part of a partnership between WCCLS and American Connection Corps, digital navigators guide and assist community members with ongoing, individualized support for accessing digital skills. A digital navigator will work at Shute Park Library twice a week, helping patrons build digital skills and use technology more confidently.
Mayor Callaway talking with students

Clear, Positive Policy Guidelines

Clear policies and updated guidelines for use promise to make the Shute Park Library experience more enjoyable for the entire community.

Written in simple, positive language, the guidelines outline common sense behaviors in an encouraging, constructive way. These guidelines, printed in both Spanish and English, will be posted in the library, making expectations clear. The guidelines apply to both Shute Park and Brookwood libraries.

Library employees will enforce the guidelines with a progressive discipline rubric.

Grounded in the City of Hillsboro Municipal Code, the rubric ranks unwanted behaviors by three tiers and clearly and concisely outlines consequences for each incident. Final determination for the most serious infractions will be made by the City of Hillsboro Police Department in compliance with the Hillsboro Municipal Code.

Policies and guidelines set clear expectations for positive behaviors and consequences, but words on a sign or written on a website only go so far. The Shute Park campus’s new safety liaison, however, encourages positive behaviors with a warm, human touch.

Created through a partnership between Shute Park Library, the City of Hillsboro Parks & Recreation Department, and the City’s Risk Management team, the safety liaison attends to the entire Shute Park campus, inspiring a reassuring feeling throughout.

Friendly and approachable, the safety liaison welcomes patrons to the park, library, Community Senior Center, and SHARC. Their consistent presence encourages a calm, orderly, and safe environment for all.

“The library’s mission is ‘For Everyone, Para Todos’. These new amenities and services will help us connect patrons to resources and to each other,” Carrillo-Sotomayor says.

“Shute Park Library is a vital neighborhood resource and every day we’re engaging the community more and more. We really are a hub of energy, creativity, and learning.”