How do you fix a library rug? Maybe just add… bookcases?

What do you do when it’s suggested that the Grafton Public Library’s rugs are too colorful and busy for a child with a sensory processing disorder?

For now, the solution is simple: the Library Planning and Building Committee is going to see what the rooms look like once the bookcase stacks and furniture are set up.

“We need to let the space become what the space is supposed to become and then work with it,” Town Administrator Evan Brassard told the committee Monday.

The library’s new extension, unveiled to the public Sunday for the Board of Trustees’ annual meeting, features color-coded carpets with a vivid pattern of varying shapes and colors. The Children’s Room has shades of blue, green and pops of yellow and purple; the Teen Room has bright red and purple shades. Upstairs, the adult section has the same patterns in more muted colors.

A single comment on a Facebook post suggesting that the new rugs may make it difficult for children with autism to endure visits prompted the Disability Commission last month to request that the library make alterations.

While the Americans With Disabilities Act does not cover sensory sensitivity, Kristi Proctor, the Disability Commission’s representative to the building committee, said the town should address the issue.

“This isn’t about casting blame,” she said, noting that the rug may also make it difficult for sight-impaired residents who use white canes. This is largely due to the specific design of the rug, which does not have a frequently repeating pattern.

“We can think of a few ways to compromise without throwing out the carpet,” she added.

Something went wrong!

Help support Grafton’s only independent source of news with a donation!