New public library opening this August will focus on nature education
By Sandy Battulga, · Mar. 31, 2026, 4:00 am
Like any library, the Anythink Nature Library will still offer books to check out, but visitors will also be able to borrow outdoor gear and scientific equipment.
“It’s kind of part library, but also part REI,” Mark Fink, Anythink Libraries’ executive director, said on a private early tour of the site.
Anythink Libraries is Adams County’s library district. The Nature Library will be the district’s eighth branch when it opens in August.
The building is on 140 acres of land called the Aylor Open Space. The open space will have walking trails that are accessible from the library, according to the Nature Library website.
The building is still under construction right now, but when completed, it will be 33,000 square feet and feature amenities like a cafe, a sunroom, and climbable boulders.
“This library was actually built around the boulders. They had to be placed first before we could pour any concrete,” branch manager Maria Mayo-Peaseley said while guiding the tour. “It’s a place for somebody who might not feel comfortable going rock climbing in the mountains.”
The project costs $43.4 million, according to the Anythink website. Fink says the design of the building is “environmentally friendly,” with geothermal energy providing heating and more than 300 solar panels that will generate electricity.
The library’s programming extends to outdoor spaces as well, including access to multiple gardens, an amphitheater, and a mud pit.
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