Neuse Regional Libraries (NRL) are excited to announce the grand opening of a new Multi-Sensory Environment (MSE) that will welcome children and their families to engage in a safe and comfortable space at the Kinston-Lenoir County Public Library through free play and sensory-enhanced programming.  

The NRL sought the guidance of the Durham County Library and TFH Multi Sensory Environments to develop an MSE design that encourages sensory interaction, featuring bubble tubes, tactile wall and floor panels, soft playscape, and flexible sensory stations.  The aim of the MSE design is to offer a space to be enjoyed as an experience, or actively participated in using controls and interactive devices.  The result is an environment that will appeal to a wide range of users and provide a therapeutic and educational addition to programming and services provided by the NRL.  

Additionally, the NRL hopes to increase inclusivity and accessibility through the implementation of sensory-enhanced storytimes to help improve cognitive function, emotional development, and social and motor skills in participants.   SenseSational Storytime will foster an environment of movement, singing, and flexibility that includes sensory stations, manipulatives, and fun activities. SenseSational Storytime will be held on Wednesdays beginning on September 20th at 10:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. at the Kinston-Lenoir County Public Library with a limit of eight participants per session. An adult must attend with the child, but a one-to-one ratio will not be required.  If interested, please register for your preferred session by calling the Youth Services Department at (252) 527-7066 ext. 133.  

SenseSational Storytime will also be a place for parents to connect with our staff, volunteers, and other parents and caregivers to seek and exchange information on library and community resources. As part of this initiative, the NRL Resource Specialist/Social Worker will be available to parents and caregivers to provide additional support and act as a bridge to resources within the community.  The Library hopes to present reading and play as experiences that can be valued and enjoyed by neurodiverse children, young adults, and their families and caregivers, and consequently, begin to build a more connected community. 

To learn more about this initiative and other NRL programs and services visit neuselibrary.org or download the myLibro app today. Special thanks to RADD (raddinc.org) and Neuse Enterprises, Inc.(neuseenterprises.org) for partnering with the Neuse Regional Libraries to provide valuable input for this project. We could not have done it without you.   

The SenseSational Storytime and Multi-Sensory Environment initiatives are supported by grant funds from the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the federal Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) as administered by the State Library of North Carolina, a division of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (IMLS grant number LS-253645-OLS-23).  Additional funding for this project was made available through Lenoir County Government ARPA funding.