The Week in Library Land: February 23 to February 29
*Sigh*. We haven’t been to any libraries in ages. It’s such a change of pace for us - and for all of you too. For better or worse, we fell behind in The Week in Library Land so there are a few yet to come from the last few weeks. Writing them reminds us of how much we love libraries and they bring back recent memories of radically different - and happier - times.
The Carnegie Library at Syracuse University.
On Sunday, Adam was in Syracuse for what would be the very last library visit associated with our trip to Bloomington. He visited the Carnegie Library, just off the Quad, on the Syracuse University campus. It’s a really beautiful building with glass-floored stacks (many seemed to be in need of repair, with wood visible), great artwork, and a really nice “collegiate” feel.
Pleased as punch to be at the Dover Town Library!
Wednesday was a big day for me. It was my first shift at the Dover Town Library and I couldn’t have been happier. Shelving books, helping patrons check out books, gathering items for interlibrary loans, assembling sets of books for children of different ages. For me, it was like a dream come true. But what library occasion would be complete without a visit from Library Land? During my shift, Adam stopped by to see how I was doing - and to post on Instagram. I was so focused on organizing periodicals that I didn’t even notice him at first! I hope it didn’t ding me on friendliness!
The spacious Valente Branch Library.
On Thursday, we spread out. Adam made it to two libraries and I went to one. Adam started at the Valente Branch of the Cambridge Public Library. We loved this place on opening day and we love it still. Adam was in bliss, seated near the big sweeping windows. Can’t wait to visit it again sometime soon.
Samuel F.B. Morse’s, “The Landing of the Pilgrims”
After Cambridge, Adam visited the Charlestown Branch of the Boston Public Library. It’s a 1970s brutalist building that has a nice big open feeling. The “open” feeling can be a bit much when the energetic after school kid crowd arrives, but Adam had his trusty earbuds. This trip, he was struck by a few great old paintings in the community meeting room upstairs. “The Landing of the Pilgrims” by Samuel F. B. Morse (artist and inventor of the telegraph) is a standout. It was painted in 1811 when Morse - who was born in Charlestown - was just 19 years old. A favorite thing about this library is the fact that it attracts a lot of millennials (and even some fellow co-workers), not a group we often see or hear about as heavy library users.
For my part, I went to the Uxbridge Free Library. This was my second visit and I have to say, this library holds a special place in my Library Land heart. There are a few reasons. First, it was here that the Gladys Kelly Library in Webster was first recommended as a library to visit -and you know how much we love Webster! The second reason - and the more important one - is the staff. On both visits, Deb Hinkle, the director, has made the time to chat about what’s happening in Uxbridge and around Library Land. She brings so much energy and such a positive spirit to her work that it’s hard not to be inspired.
The Uxbridge Public Library.
On this visit, I also spent time talking with Chris Powloka, a library technician, about some collection issues that have been on my mind. It turns out this is something he’s currently studying as he pursues his Master’s in Library Science. We had a nice conversation and a subsequent email exchange. Not only were the pair generous with their time with me, but they displayed the interest and engagement with other patrons again and again. A really great place to spend time.
On Friday, Adam and I met up at the Acton Public Library. We’ve worked in this library before and like the place plenty. We especially like the quiet reading room in the antique section of the library. Due to a bit of scheduling confusion with a potential business partner our visit was brief - but still positive and fun.
One beautiful fireplace in Franklin.
The last library of the week was the Franklin Public Library. There was no work to be done but I wanted to share this library with my wife, Wendy, and our friend Peter. Franklin is a really amazing library - historically, architecturally, and from a staff and services perspective. It’s one I love to show people since it exemplifies what a library can be. Looking forward to the next visit.
Stay strong and be well, library friends!
Note: a few people have noticed there are no ratings for the library visits described in this post. That is no accident. As we’ve counseled our SharpOrange clients, the world that existed before the Coronavirus is gone and what will come after it is unknown. Given this fact, it seems silly to evaluate libraries on the eleven criteria that mattered to us before the Coronavirus. When things normalize again (soon we hope!) we’ll reassess to determine what matters after Coronavirus . We’re not going to remove the reviews or ratings from all of our past visits because they were our honest assessments of that world and time but we won’t be using them moving forward.