224. Litchfield, MN, Pioneerland

On my way in, I noticed the "Carnegie Meeting Room." On my way out, I saw a picture on the wall that prompted me to ask, and yes, Litchfield did have a Carnegie library. The building is still standing, minus its dome, and is being used for multiple purposes. But the library I visited is quite new.

The lobby has a free phone for local calls, which I appreciate seeing in these times of "Everyone has a cell phone." No, "everyone" doesn't. And the batteries sometimes give out. There was a display about the importance of animal shelters, too. Like, like, like.

A sign reminiscent of Howard Lake says

DANGER -- Ninjas, pirates, monsters and zombies.

A nice display on the wall in the children's area lists literary genres (fiction, non-fiction, folktale, drama, poetry) and defines mystery, realistic fiction, fairy tale, fantasy, legend, tall tale, biography, autobiography, historic fiction, myth, fable, science fiction, and information. The tops of all shelves in the kids' area are lined with standing-up books, which create a very appealing display. I kept wanting to read, and I jotted several titles that were new to me, to request when I got home.

A very long window wall with a cushioned seat faces a rug with a pond-and-bridge design. There are four computers for kids 17 and under, or adults with children 12 and under. There is a fair-sized collection of books in Spanish. A display of Lego models includes at least two by girls, always good to see.

There is a restroom in the children's area that is definitely proportioned for little kids.

A small room holds a copier/printer and a workspace with a stapler, etc.

I saw two small study rooms, and there must be a third, because the ones I saw were "2" and "3." These rooms are kept locked, and must be requested at the service desk.

In the adult area the stacks are wooden shelves with paneled ends, which look very classy. I wonder now, but I didn't ask, whether they were designed as a nod to the old Carnegie building. The adults have two "living room" reading areas with floor-to-ceiling windows and comfortable chairs. There are many VHS tapes, books on tape, as well as their DVD and CD counterparts. The adults have about a dozen computers.

In the lobby, a large, handsome metal tree is mounted on the wall. A Plexiglas form over the tree holds metal "leaves" with the names of donors.

For more information, see http://litchlibrary.blogspot.com/.

3/15/14, car

This is the "new" Litchfield Library.

The Carnegie library building is still in use for various purposes.