409a Manitowoc, Wisconsin Public Library

I debated what number to assign to the Manitowoc library. You see, I almost visited in July 2014. Again, I was preparing to take the ferry across Lake Michigan, but that year I was traveling on Sunday, and the library didn't open until noon. Not enough time to walk up from the dock, visit the library, and return to the dock for boarding at 1 o'clock. So I settled for a walk around the building and some peeks in windows. And I assigned the sequential number 409. So this more complete visit becomes 409a.

This year I was there on Saturday, the library opened at 10:00, and I had a chance for a fairly thorough look around.

I didn't realize ahead of time that I would be visiting on the final day of the summer reading program, and I can tell you that this library goes all-out on this festive day. Outside there was a bouncy house and a variety of concerts and other excitement. [Adding to the fun or chaos was the adjacent weekly farmers market!]

Inside, my eye was caught by these wrapped baskets, which I learned were prizes for the adult summer reading program. I never used to hear about adult programs; I think they are becoming more popular as the years go by.

This Citizenship Information Center impressed me. Libraries can serve a valuable role in welcoming new immigrants to the country. I've seen "welcome centers" in several Canadian libraries; they seem less common in the States.

This large, two-sided card catalog is full. The cards hold Manitowoc County School Records. Chalk this up as a "never saw a card catalog used that way" experience.

A round corner of the building is full of windows, plus magazines, papers, and people. No people in my pictures, so no picture of this pleasant browsing corner.

The space shown below is more practical than pleasant. It holds micro-readers for those interested in historical or genealogical research.

There comes a time when any library has to move things around, especially books. A change in the relative sizes of collections, a need to accommodate new equipment...whatever. At that time, you have to help patrons who are looking for their old favorites in all the wrong places. Manitowoc seems to be going through a major shift; I first noticed signs that the biographies had moved, then I realized that signs like the one below were widely distributed. In a few months, hardly anyone will remember "how things used to be."

A good-sized meeting room, the Franklin Room, allows cell phone use and eating. This seems like a good idea, to allow these uses in a specific area instead of trying to ban them completely.

The shelves here hold part of the YA collection. Notice that the new books are designated "SUPER."

This corner of the first floor is for...you guessed it...the teenage patrons.

These blue bags hold the largest collection of "book club in a bag" sets that I have seen anywhere. I think they're more attractive than most I've seen, too.

Time for a look upstairs. I chose the elevator, for the sake of my knees. The stairs here bear a resemblance to stairs at one of my home libraries, but they look friendlier. I think the treads are wider and the risers shorter. This library has a British phone booth at the bottom of the stairs, a fun touch. Is it a tardis? I thought they were red.

Because of the end of summer celebration, the library was busy. I was lucky to get a shot of this part of the children's area. I believe that the computer shown here is for the catalog. Across from this space there were two Early Literacy stations and another for the school-age crowd. An adult was at one of the EL stations with a youngster perhaps three or four years old. They were looking at a lesson about the brain, and the adult read the question "Can you find the Brain Stem?" And sure enough, the kid pointed to it correctly. (Well, the brain is sort of a lump, and the stem sticks out at the bottom....) Yikes...I've recently taken an Intro to Neurology course at the U of M...and now kids are starting in preschool?!

There is a very sturdy wooden kitchen set, complete with a table and all the accessories. But my favorite is this workbench. At first I was a bit put off by the instruction book (or idea book); where's the creativity? But then it occurred to me that following directions is an important skill, too. The kids who use this workbench may someday have to assemble IKEA furniture. Can't hurt to start them early.

This isn't as clear as it should be, but I'm trying to show the "subject" flags sticking out from the shelves. You can see several if you look closely; the most legible is Paper Airplanes. Each one includes the Dewey numbers.

I like this READ sign; the simple cones of colored paper are clever, inexpensive, and eye-catching. And of course they represent a lot of work by someone!

I've left this one in despite the blurriness. Each of those colored panels represents a local school. When a kid reads a book, he or she can put a sticker on the appropriate poster. I don't know how the contest ends. I've seen something like this in at least one other library, and I'd like to know more about it.

I've said it before: Always look up before you leave a library. The wall above an exit seems to be a favorite place for murals.

When I reached this point, an announcement was made about "children's bingo" starting soon, and I did have to walk back to the ferry. So I headed out, took a quick look around the outdoor activities, and headed boat-ward. Finally I had toured this library, and it was worth the wait.

8/4/2018