467 Wells Public Library, Wells, Maine

I've been staying with family in York, Maine; this is my last day. Beach-sitting isn't my style, so I decided to head up the road to Wells and have a look at their library. I was a little nervous because the library website mentioned limited parking due to long-awaited construction, but no fear: there was plenty of parking along the side, and in a parking lot shared with the junior high school.

 You know some serious construction is coming when you see a full-sized Tonka Toy like this!

The present library was built in 1978 and dedicated to Miss Ethel M. Weymouth. Literature racks in the lobby hold community information and tourist brochures.

The Information Desk seemed like a good place to start. I was welcomed warmly by the staff person there, and she introduced me to the Director, who gave permission for interior pictures.

A library book sale is underway on shelves to the right (if you enter from the street side). A completed jigsaw puzzle was on one table, and this one in the earliest stages was nearby. There's another jigsaw that I'll show and mention later.

An art gallery and "living room" area for browsing are to the left as you enter. No picture, as it was occupied by two or three men catching up on their reading. Back issues of periodicals are shelved nearby.

This looks like a poster about birds. A close look reveals it to be a jigsaw puzzle with the pieces glued in place. It's certainly a nice puzzle to put on display.

This isn't the first library where I've seen the Library Bill of Rights displayed, but unfortunately it's not common. I think this is important enough that I'm going to copy it in here. You'll find it at the end of the post.

You can see here that the new addition (in green) will significantly increase the size of the library.

These blue chairs along a window wall provide a convenient place to browse the A-frame shelves of fiction, non-fiction, large print, and biographies. This library seems to have an especially large collection of large print books.

Teens have a corner of the library to themselves, though when I visited a person far beyond his teen years had found a comfortable place here. The shelves of /DVDs, music CDs, and books on CD are close by.

This is another view of the Teen area. I sometimes choose an upholstered chair with a desk arm when I need to study at the University of Minnesota; I think they are a wonderful invention. The library is next door to a junior high school, and I expect this area sees a lot of use when school gets out for the day. I certainly hope so!

As readers of this blog know, I'm always on the lookout for anything I haven't seen in another library. Here, a large rock with a petroglyph certainly fills the bill. A brochure about this petroglyph explains how to interpret it. I was surprised to read that this was found on a rock ledge in this area.

How's this for putting "messy activity" needs right in the children's area? I like the use of bold blue. The vertical yellow and green "sticks" slide down through the handles of the drawers to prevent unauthorized opening. Did someone get this idea from file cabinets in military or industrial secured areas?

Art work abounds in this library. Wells, Maine, is not far from Ogunquit, Maine, and both are known for active art communities. I like this playful stain-glass window in the children's area.

The framework of the puppet theater is made of PVC pipe, which makes a simple and sturdy play space. Just a couple of rules: only three people behind the curtain at one time, and put the puppets away in their bins when you are done. If you're looking for something more high-tech after your puppet show, there are four computers for kids nearby.

I can easily imagine this space filled with toddlers and toys, with carers watching from the side. Or a gaggle of youngsters sitting "criss-cross-applesauce" (at least briefly) to listen to a story.'

Not all art is by adult professionals. One row of J bookshelves holds pictures created by young patrons.

 The open girders provide a lower place to attach lights and other fixtures, while still giving the spacious feeling of the high ceiling. Painting the girders blue helps pull the whole library together

This shelf unit holds books from the Bill Ryan Memorial Children's Book Art Collection. These books do not circulate, but the librarian can help you find a circulating copy.

Now for a bit of serendipity. I mentioned in the library that I had adopted a cat from a shelter in Wells, about 25 years ago. I named her Wellsie Berwick, combining the location of the shelter and the place where she was found. 'She was about three years old and had been in shelter for a year and a half! I subjected her to a sequence  of car, plane, van, and car rides to get to my home in Minnesota. She lived to be about 15 years old and was a wonderful cat.

The serendipity? I mentioned this feline adoption to staff at the library, and they pointed out a cat rescue shelter next door to the library. I visited the shelter and learned that it is not related to the one I adopted from. However, I met the current person in charge and discovered that she once worked at the shelter where I adopted Wellsie. That was a wonderful end to two great visits, library and shelter.

8/23/2017

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 Library Bill of Rights 

The American Library Association affirms that all libraries are forums for information and ideas, and that the following basic policies should guide their services.

I. Books and other library resources should be provided for the interest, information, and enlightenment of all people of the community the library serves. Materials should not be excluded because of the origin, background, or views of those contributing to their creation.

 II. Libraries should provide materials and information presenting all points of view on current and historical issues. Materials should not be proscribed or removed because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval. 

III. Libraries should challenge censorship in the fulfillment of their responsibility to provide information and enlightenment. 

IV. Libraries should cooperate with all persons and groups concerned with resisting abridgment of free expression and free access to ideas. 

V. A person’s right to use a library should not be denied or abridged because of origin, age, background, or views. 

VI. Libraries which make exhibit spaces and meeting rooms available to the public they serve should make such facilities available on an equitable basis, regardless of the beliefs or affiliations of individuals or groups requesting their use. 

Adopted June 19, 1939. Amended October 14, 1944; June 18, 1948; February 2, 1961; June 27, 1967; and January 23, 1980; inclusion of “age” reaffirmed January 23, 1996, by the ALA Council. 

466 Ogunquit Memorial Library, Ogunquit, Maine

A lot of the content of this blog is borrowed from a Welcome booklet I picked up at the library.

I've wanted to visit here for five years, ever since I started visiting libraries and writing about them. I get to the York/Ogunquit area every couple of years, but usually only for a brief visit. Perhaps a walk on the Marginal Way or a meal at a restaurant or a visit to Perkins Cove. I would see the library, want to visit, but discover that I either forgot my camera or have arrived during the 12 to 2 lunch break. This time I have three days in York, and my sister is willing to brave the Ogunquit traffic.

The original part of the building dates back to 1897 (opened to the public in 1898). An addition was built in 1914. The library is in the National Registry of Historic Places and The Ogunquit Historic Preservation Commission.


Looking down the side of the library allows a hint of the handsome landscaped grounds.

Stone stands up to just about anything, but in 2007 the handsome doors succumbed to age and weather. The picture below shows the handcrafted replacements, which should be good for another 110 years.

The plaque above the entrance reads

Free Memorial Library

of

Ogunquit Maine

Erected in memory of

George M. Conarroe

of Philadelphia Penna:

By his wife August 1897

It happens once in a while...I get caught up in pleasant conversation with library staff and scrimp on note-taking and wandering about.

The corner below is immediately to the right as you enter. The table holds assorted literature about the area and the library.

The need to avoid people in my pictures led to this awkward view of the massive stone fireplace that was once the sole source of heat for the library. The pamphlet that is the source of most of my information (because I was talking, not taking notes) mentions that the interior of the library has changed little over the years.

Though they have very little in common, this library reminds me of the Forest Lodge Library in Cable, WI. I think the common links are consistency over the years and a certain "one-of-a-kind-ness,"

A large room to the left holds part of the collection..

More of the collection. A book sale was underway at a large wooden table in another part of this room..

This is no dollhouse; it's a 2-foot replica of the library, build with stones by a local resident, probably in the 1930s.

I missed the grandfather clock. (I simply needed to turn 180 degrees; no excuses!) I think the staff person said that his grandfather built it. The leaflet says that it was made from a black walnut piano case, with inlaid designs made from the ivory piano keys. That's got to be one of a kind.

The children's books are limited. I find this understandable, since Ogunquit has long been a tourist town and art colony, and thus quite adult-oriented. However, the six-drawer card catalog has books at least as recent as Harry Potter. I love that the kids get a real card catalog! There are a few plastic kid-size chairs available.

Borrowing privileges at the Ogunquit Library are free to residents of Ogunquit, Wells, York, and Cape Neddick. Visitors may borrow by paying $25, which is refunded when the last book is returned.

Over the years, donors have provided generous endowments that fund the library to this day. This enables the library to operate full-time and year-round "without the aid of any federal, state, or municipal funds." [Donations are always welcome!]

8/22/2017

465 James Prendergast Free Library, Jamestown, New York

My goal: find a library to visit that is on my route from Middleburg Heights, OH to Cazenovia, NY. The only other criterion: it must be open on Saturday. Thanks to MapQuest, I found Jamestown, New York, the home of a very handsome library and art gallery.

The historic building has a commanding position on a hilltop. The newer building is visible to the right.

I fed a couple of quarters into a parking meter. Did I need to on a Saturday? I couldn't tell, and I didn't want to take a chance. Then I walked down the sidewalk to the entrance in the newer building.

It's always tricky to blend a new building with an older one, but in my opinion the effort worked here. There is no mistaking the two buildings, but I feel no jarring effect.

The library has two levels of stacks down each side, with access from a number of stairs, an elevator, and a bridge between the two sides. I went to the upper level in search of an angle from which I could show the overall sense of this large space, without including recognizable people. From here you can see the "bridge," a browsing area with easy chairs around the newspapers, and the beginning of the on-going book sale, marked by the cart full of the distinctively yellow National Geographic magazines.

The teen area is at the far end of the upper level. Graphic novels and Y fiction are shelved nearby. To the right, just out of the picture, is a small area, up one step, with more seating for a few kids. Perhaps a study group, at least sometimes? 

Back on the main level, the book sale uses the lower stacks from this point back to the wall. Note to a fellow back home who thinks he can make money from his old VHS tapes: Here they are 25 cents each...or you can fill a shopping bag for $5.00, two bags for $7.00. The sale books are shelved "in order," and the shelves are helpfully labeled with fiction and Dewey Decimal indicators.

Reference books are becoming rare as people turn more to the Internet. I've seen this practice in a number of places, intershelving reference books with non-fiction books. This is the first place, however, that I've seen such clear signage explaining the practice to borrowers.

Here is a closer view of the browsing area I saw from the upper level. Notice the newspaper rack in the center...

The newspapers are still mounted on split sticks. This certainly keeps the papers neat, but I know from first-hand experience in my high school years that the daily mounting of the papers can be quite a chore.

One area (not pictured) of the lower stacks includes periodicals, newspapers (off the sticks), microfilm and -fiche readers, material relevant to local history and genealogy, and city directories from from 1922 to the 'nineties. Nearby are about 20 computers for public use.

The entrance to the children's area is marked by a hexagonal aquarium. I like that pictures of the various fish are provided, with the question to kids, "Can you find these fish?" A sign indicates that "no food, snacks, or drinks allowed in children's room. Please use designated tables in the main library." I didn't spot those tables, but I like the idea of providing an alternative, rather than imposing an outright ban.

The summer reading program theme was "Build a Better World.' Here the challenge was to "fill the toolbox" with a star for each book read.

A display of new books includes "Chapter Books," "Picture Books," and "Information Books." Ten computers are available for kids, and at 11 am on this Saturday morning, eight of them were in use.

Packets for Parents provide a book, guide, and directions for an activity. These are available for ages birth to 1, 1 to 2, 3, 4, K, and first grade. Some topics I spotted were "Speech," "Alphabet Books," and "Behavior and Emotional."

The selection of this library for a visit was serendipitous; the visit was grand.

8/19/2017

274a Cazenovia Public Library

This was a re-visit; my first visit was August 6, 2014. At that time, I was not taking interior pictures, so this post will serve as a fuller introduction to this handsome library. [Note: there is also a history museum here, but I did not visit it, as I arrived less than half an hour before closing.]

One thing I remembered, not specifically about the library, was the free public parking in back. Not just library parking, but public parking. Free! This meant that I didn't have to worry about finding parking on the busy main street; I could simply drive around a couple of corners. I hope Cazenovia can keep up this practice

Walking up from the parking lot yields a rear view of the building. Perhaps not the first thing to see, but at the end of that sidewalk...

...you can turn around and get the full impact of the classical facade. A note on the door directs the visitor around to the side...

...where a sheltered portico runs the length of the building. Keep walking...

...past the sunflower/book/bike rack. I think it's a bike rack. Why do I think so? there is a clue on the left-hand leaf of the first flower.

Beyond the bike rack is the official greeter. I remember this creature from my earlier visit, but I don't know the significance.

I don't usually make second visits; there are so many libraries! In this case, however, I wanted to see if Page was still on the staff. I met her on my first visit, and this time I had a gift for her from my Frankie and Jerry. And there she was, patrolling the premises. She is the fourth in a line of library cats going back 32 years:

• Dewey, 1985 to 1988
• Kitty, 1988 to 1999
• Jesse, 1999 to 2009
• Page, 2009... and going strong for many more years, I hope.

      

The Lego Checkout Club has spent the summer adding to a Lego structure one piece at a time, each piece representing a book checked out by a kid. I understand that this is very popular. However, younger kids are likely to move pieces that are already part of the structure...and older kids are likely to remember exactly where they put that yellow piece, and why isn't it there now?
\

There are plenty of books of all types, and the preschool area includes blocks. These have prompted this sign: "Blocks are for building, not throwing. When others are building, please don't knock over their work." I was slightly alarmed when I read this, picturing wooden kindergarten blocks of maple; the blocks I spotted, however, are similar in shape and size, but made of foam. Whew!

This part of the children's area invites parents to sit and read to their toddlers, or watch them at play.

Many libraries include thematic bags or boxes of related books. Here they are called "Grandma Sally's Bookbags;" themes I saw were "Birthday Celebrations" and "Read and Guess," each with 10 books. There were quite a few others on the shelf.

I include this picture for two reasons. First, to give a good look at the painted border that runs around the wall. Second, to show the Nancy Drew silhouette, on the prowl with her magnifying glass so that you will "get caught reading."

This final picture gives another look at the border, the high clerestory windows, and the much-larger-than-life monarch butterfly.

It appears that I have totally ignored the adult portion of the library. No pictures, but I do have some notes. There are a couple of reading/studying tables that caught my eye because some of the wooden chairs have cushions. Nice, for a prolonged study session especially. Four computers are available for patron use.

In the media area, there is a significant collection of foreign DVDs. You can borrow a fancy cake pan, not here but at the Kirkland Town Library. A Facebook post that I chanced to see today says that the Cazenovia library also lends fishing gear (I've seen that quite a few places) and croquet sets (a first).

8/19/2017