We’re pleased to announce the addition of a Lactation Lounge at your Main Library located at 202 Cedar St. Available to nursing mothers, we now offer a private room to breastfeed or express milk as needed. This lactation room is available for use during the library’s hours of operation and we encourage all new mothers to check it out when available.
Located on the second floor of the Main Library, you’ll find the location lounge located by the auditorium. The library had access to unused office space and it was repurposed thanks to grant funds and support through the Abilene Taylor County Public Health District and Texas WIC. Funding was used to transform this space into a comfortable sitting room including comfortable lounge chairs and decór, resources for mothers, a sink if needed, blankets that are regularly cleaned, and more.
Additionally, you’ll find access to a selection of basic needs items in case you leave the house to discover you’ve forgotten something. Such includes baby wipes, hand sanitizer, digital thermometers, breast milk storage bags, and even diapers. Mothers utilizing the room are available to make use of these items if needed, courtesy of the library, the health department, Texas WIC, and funds provided by the Junior League of Abilene.
Using the room is simple. Simply visit the room at the library and there will be signage to alert you if the room is available. If available, simply ring the doorbell affixed to the door and library staff will be alerted. We will come by to unlock the room, show you around, and allow you to use the space as long as needed. Once finished, ring the doorbell again to alert staff you’re done, and we will come to reset the room for the next user.
You may use the doorbell Mondays through Fridays from 9AM to 5PM to gain access. After 5PM and on weekends, please see staff in the Information Services Department in the basement to gain access to the room.
Those able to use the space are mothers with newborns who need to nurse or pump, mothers by themselves who need to pump, and fathers with newborns who need a space to feed. The Lactation Lounge is not a space for guests to sit and relax in a private space.
We encourage you to try out the Lactation Lounge for yourself, or tell your friends about this new space so they may take advantage of it. For more information about the room, feel free to contact Tremain Jackson at 325-437-4564 or by email at tremain.jackson@abilenetx.gov.