343. La Crosse County Public Library, Campbell, Wisconsin

There is the city of La Crosse, Wisconsin library and its branches (see last post) and there is La Crosse County Library and its branches--two different entities. Sort of like St. Paul, MN, and Ramsey County, only smaller. There are five libraries in the system and I visited four of them; sorry, Bangor, I'll be in the next time I get down that way!

My first stop was at the Campbell library, which was on the wrong side of a bridge construction project. No problem for my trusty GPS, however! This small library is in a building that used to be a church, which is suggested by the handsome ceiling with its curved wooden beams.

Large windows on the left side as you enter help divide the space into three parts. First, easy chairs and a lamp on a table near the adult books and periodicals. Second, a large chair and footstool next to the Young Adult collection. And third, an alphabet rug and a chair for story time near the picture books, children's fiction, non-fiction, and media.

The Summer Reading Program theme throughout the La Crosse County libraries has to do with solving mysteries. In keeping with this theme, staff nametags identify, for example, Detective Sarah, who was great fun to talk to. Kids have to put together clues throughout the program, and I found that I was putting together clues as I visited the various branches and saw different emphases and signs.

At Campbell, the sign that caught my eye was "Child must be present to have reading booklet stamped." As Detective Sarah said, the point of the summer program is to get kids in the habit of coming to the library!

For more about the La Crosse County Libraries, go to http://www.lacrossecountylibrary.org/index.asp .

6/30/2015, car

Library sign with new landscaping

 

Library entrance with parking lot in the background.
Imagine...a parking lot with shade!