LIBRARY VS. ME
I've got on my fancy spandex. I've entered the ring. I'm prepared to fight.
Let me explain why.
I'm not one to lose sleep over trivial things, but I recently woke up angry in the middle of the night. I tossed. I turned. I groaned. Why? The library. I lost sleep over the local library. Go figure.
Our library just had a complete overhaul. It used to be cramped and severely outdated, so for the past year I've watched and anxiously anticipated the grand opening of a brand new facility.
I visited this beautiful place a few weeks ago and was shocked to find there was no section designated for children. Think back to any local library you've ever visited. There's always a special place for kids to sit and read, isn't there? It doesn't have to be anything fancy, but I don't really believe it's practical for kids and adult books to be in a shared space-- especially if you're designing a brand new facility! I remembered the old Pataskala library kids' section was a room behind the circulation desk. Heck, if Pataskala could get in right in 1980 then you would think this small town could figure it out today.
So I got mad.
I shared my frustration with Mike (yes, we had a conversation at 2 a.m. about the library). Apparently, the library director had come to a rotary meeting with the new plans, and when Mike asked what they were providing for children, everyone laughed.
Hmmmmm....I certainly don't live in a community with many young professional families, do I? You know, as long as they have a new room for the quilt club and a few tables for the old folk to come and read the daily newspaper, I guess they've supposedly met the needs of the community.
But my fight has only just begun.
Tune in to Smack Down next Friday night on the CW channel.
It just might be me you see.
5 comments:
What is the CW channel.
I can't imagine a library with no place for the children.
I'll be anxious to know how things went of Friday night.
You know, Pataskala even has a little reading area for the kiddos and story time!!!! I cracked up at the picture...what a pleasant first visit :)
Ohhh, I am mad too. The library can be a child's first relatonship with books. It can begin a life long love of reading and learning. A library must consider its future. If it looses the attention and commitment from a generation...what will that generation do with the library when they are in charge? Todays children are tomorrows future. The big library in West Bloomfield has a huge children's department with a large play room. What they are doing is NOT common place. Go for it! enter the ring!!!!
Here is my idea...show up one day with a kids table and chairs and a basket of books you collect and tell them you saw they didn't have a kids corner and you assumed it was an issue with funding so you're making a donation..."where do you want me to put the table?"
Then work from there on getting them to have childrens books for check-out.
That is pretty pathetic in a new library to not have spent $100 bucks for kids. After your donation you could attend the town meetings to voice your disappointment and ask for more since you already started. Plus, you could volunteer to do a kids story time and be the reader...tell the mom's at your church about it and try to get a big turn out if they ever let you do it so there would be a big group at the first reading!
A rebel with a cause, I love it!
Oh, I almost forgot...perhaps don't wear the fancy spandex to the library with your donation.
Save it for the town hall meeting!
Post a Comment