537 Derry Public Library, Derry, New Hampshire

 I felt like a trip to the southeast corner of New Hampshire, and I discovered that the Derry Public Library is fully open. And it was a beautiful day for a drive.

After my visit and the drive home, I imported all my pictures from camera to laptop to blog. Surprise: They came in, but in  reverse order. So be it; I just don't feel like figuring this out, or re-importing. So we'll start here by the door. Although the library is open, curbside pickup is still available for those who prefer it. Privacy for those using curbside is handled in different ways by various libraries. Here, if you have a single book it will be wrapped in brown paper with your name on the spine. 

If you're getting multiple books, they'll be in a nice anonymous plastic bag.

My pictures all have to be people-free. Getting this shot of the circulation desk was a trick. This is part of the newer building. The older building is in the background.

The children's area is on the lower level and is very large. I like this guide to selecting books, and I hadn't seen one for a while, so I'll put it here.

Series books are available in abundance, and it's easy to find the series you want with these nice blue shelf markers. I have known people who look down on series books. They may be the same people who have favorite authors and can't wait the the next book in a *gasp* series. I think the familiarity of series books must be a great relief to emerging readers.

It won't be long now and this new patio outside the children's area will be ready for readers and baskers.

Child patrons have been in short supply during this pandemic year, but in most libraries the seasonal markers have kept up and are just waiting for the kids to return. Which will happen when the toys and manipulatives are again available, I would guess.

The puppet theater and the play table look lonely.

Good words for adults as well as kids.

A chair waiting for a reader...

...and a nice pictured carpet waiting for a criss-cross-applesauce audience.

The One-Thousand Books Before Kindergarten is clearly an active program here.

Spring Showers, Read for Hours...definitely my approach. 

The children's area has several computers and a good collection of activity bags along the wall.

Remember that the pictures are in reverse order. So now we'll pretend that we have walked backwards up the stairs and arrived near the adult computers and printers. I didn't get a picture of the sign, but there were instructions for the printer and copier that were so clear, I think even I could follow them!

The library is situated in a large park, which means that there are good views from many locations.

This corner is part of the Teen area. Two tables, that I bet were once in the original part of the library, have been pushed together and covered with heavy Plexiglass. All sorts of inspirational or simply interesting items, selected jointly by kids and librarians, are in a changing display.

The curved set of windows looks in on the media area. And another one of the historic tables, perhaps?

Most libraries I've visited have extensive collections of cookbooks, but the Derry folks have a particularly large array. And this is the only library where I've seen cookbooks with their own unique chef's hat stickers!

A "World Languages" section caught my eye. I'm accustomed to libraries in the Twin Cities (Minneapolis and St. Paul) and their suburbs, where there are many immigrants and "world languages" generally means modest collections of fiction and non-fiction for those who like to read in their first, not English, language. Here it means sets of books and other material for learning a language other than English. You can dive into German, French, Italian, Portuguese, Chinese, Latin, Greek, Arabic, Japanese, and Hebrew.

The title of this poem caught my eye. There are some years when November really does seem to last until April!

There are several small study rooms in the newer part of the library. In deference to COVID-19, they are being used to store furniture that is off limits for a while to minimize the need for cleaning.

These computers give access to the library catalog. In order to maintain social distancing of six feet, only one of them is currently in use.

A different view of one of the study rooms.

I first saw periodical display/storage units like these in a new Minneapolis library a few years ago. They provide a slot on the front for the current issue and a box on the back for back issues. I find them very attractive and practical.

The fireplace in the background is a big clue that we are in the older part of the building. And here is another one of those classic tables.

The picture of the girl reading, and the three plaques, are from the library centennial, which was celebrated in 2005.

Another view of the parkland.

The newer building is in the foreground, the older one is in back on the left. There is parking on the left and handicapped parking at the bottom of the ramp on the right.

Here's the view I should have started with...

...and one more view of the landscaped park grounds. 

4/24/2021

536 Hampton Falls Free Library, Hampton Falls, New Hampshi

My second stop on this "library collecting" trip was at Hampton Falls. I associate "Hampton" with "beach," but I think the only time I went to Hampton Beach was on the only day I played hooky from  Nashua High School. Got a horrible sunburn for my punishment. Boy, that was a long time ago!

Here in the Granite State, the main library sign is granite...

...but the sign that is really great to see is the one that says the library is open. Limited hours, yes, but OPEN!

The entrance to the library includes an enclosed space with protection from weather. In one of the last pictures we'll see that it has had another important use lately.

I walk a lot, though not on this trip, and one of the most welcome sights is a bench with a back!

The construction sign explains the reason for hoses, flags, and pipes. Hint: the grass will be consistently green this summer!

When I saw the hearts on the door I recalled seeing a note about this on the library website. Patrons were asked to express their love for the library and cover the door with decorated hearts. They're off to a good start, I'd say.

There is a generous collection of new books for young adults and school kids. What does the "J" stand for? It varies from place to place. It used to be pretty consistently "Juvenile," but "Junior" is more common now Even if a collection has gone more to "New Readers," "Graphic Novels," and other descriptive titles, you're likely to see "J" on the spine of older books.

Here's an example: "Early Readers." The upside-down chairs, of course, indicate that patrons are not welcome to use the tables...OR the chairs. That will change, eventually.

Perhaps half of the libraries I've visited have some version of this sign in their children's area. From my experience, and from what I've been told, the sign helps perhaps half of the time. Basically, there are those who put away, or encourage their kids to do so...and those who don't.

Seeing a gorgeous puppet theater like this really makes me long for normal times in libraries.

My first glance at the number signs in the children's area made me think of Dewey and his decimals. Then I realized that it is part of the "1000 Books Before Kindergarten" program. I wonder what impact the COVID-closings have had on that program?

It's not just the kids who are prevented from sitting at a table to work.

This large telescope can be checked out by patrons. This is the first entry in the "Library of Things" that I've seen since I re-started visits in January.

Upholstered chairs! I was told that two gentlemen make it a habit to come in when the library is open and sit in these chairs to chat. Newspapers are also available. I haven't seen periodicals, even papers, available in libraries lately. Here you are advised to use the provided hand sanitizer before and after handling such material.

More lonely tables and chairs, waiting for researchers and schoolwork-doers to give them a purpose again.

Signs like this are really helpful to people who run out of books by a favorite author and are in search of a new favorite.

Another list of this type that I've seen shows all of the books by a single author, in order of publication. One thing I've done during the stay-at-home days is read (often re-read) in order the books by Louise Penny and Archer Mayor. Now I'm working on Robert B Parker. This is fun for more than the stories. Parker's books, for example, date back to the 70s, and the cultural changes are interesting. So often I find myself thinking, "Wow, they wouldn't get away with that these days!"

                                  

We're now all accustomed to plexiglass barriers in many forms and uses. This custom A-frame barrier was made by a patron.

And now it's time to leave via that nice enclosed door. The entry way is now used for "curbside pickup"  with patrons' material waiting snuggly in plastic bags.

4/8/2021