Thursday, August 7, 2014

274. Cazenovia, New York

The first thing I spotted when I walked in the door was a sign with a picture of a cat and the request, "Please don't let Page out after 7 p.m." Page is the library cat, the first I've met! When I inquired, I learned that she was in the hall. She allowed me to pet her (a bit) and posed for a photo:

Page, casting a wary eye on the stranger with the camera and notebook.
 
After the excitement of meeting a real library cat, I took a deep, calming breath and looked around. The first striking feature is the color palette of the interior, white, pink, and purple...though those colors probably have more specific names. I wish I had taken an interior picture, but you can get an idea of what I mean if you go to http://www.cazenoviapubliclibrary.org/cats.php and look at the last picture. And you'll meet Page's predecessors; she is not the first cat to make this library her home.
 
One bookshelf is filled with high school summer reading books. Nearby are three study tables, each with four chairs, with short walls separating them. A Young Adult alcove has a round table with wooden chairs that have interesting and varied seat cushions. The library's oversized books fill shelves to the left, YA books fill shelves along the outer wall and to the right. The next alcove has "J" books, series books, and "J" media.
 
For the youngest patrons, there is an old-style wooden cradle filled with board books, shelves of picture books, and a low wooden train table. A Plexiglas-covered rack displays Beatrix Potter books and figures, and a sign says that a few days earlier, on July 28, there was a Beatrix Potter birthday party on the library lawn.
 
A separate room called the Story Garden has about a dozen kid-sized wooden chairs with backs shaped like treetops and painted green. It's a cozy and cute space for programs and story times.
 
I'm sure there are also wonderful facilities and services for adults, but alas, they did not make it into my notes.
 
There is a lot of history connected with this library, and I suggest that you visit their website (link above) and look around. I also commend the town for providing ample free parking close to the library and downtown!
 
8/6/2014, car



1 comment:

  1. The cradle is a great storage/display idea! I always like it when libraries host parties and events for older authors...or even those in memory.

    ReplyDelete

Comments are welcomed, and I will respond to them. Please be tasteful; comments that are in poor taste will be deleted.
Sorry about the "verification" step; I added it after a rash of spammish comments.