The New Library...

Our library is finally open...after a 6 million dollar re-do, it is back! I am having mixed feelings about this...First off, I love books...love them like old friends, snuggle up with them in bed, have meals with them...and generally bring a book along to most places I go. I read all the time, I think it has to do with getting hooked in Junior High, because our TV broke, and my mother wouldn't fix it unless I brought my math grade up.





So...in place of Laverne and Shirley re-runs I was no longer allowed to watch (and yes, I did miss Twin Peaks and a handful of other shows that are now thankfully on DVD in case I want to watch them) I started to read instead of die of boredom (I know, I was very dramatic then) I went back and read all the classics I missed when I was watching Little House on the Prairie, and became quite hooked. I now probably read 2-3 books a week depending on what time of year it is (yes, I'm incredibly smart and have an amazing imagination) And, I have a wonderful personal library myself!







I was a little surprised when I walked in and saw all the open space, although nice...it used to be filled with books...but our library thought it was a good idea to deacquisition one third of our library collection (some books which we will never be able to get back because they are no longer in print) The new stacks are beautiful, with lights across the tops of them so you can see better...but, with not many books, there's not much to see. In fact, when you walk into the entrance...you can't actually see any books at all.

They're calling it Prescott's Living Room...and at eleven hundred dollars a chair...I guess so. There are several new nice meeting rooms, including a kind of craft room for the kids, which is good because they're no longer letting us use the third floor. They put up a new large display case (which has some really frightening art in it at the moment, usually they let different community organizations use it) and a good sized place for the Library Used Book Sale. The young adult section only has 4 small shelving units (one could work through the tiny amount of books in mere months) And as you can see by the pictures, there are some fun furnishings in the children's area. They stuck the children downstairs...I guess there were too many complaints about the noise they make (mostly grumpy retired people here in Prescott and on the board of the library apparently) and gave them some cool stuff (although, I noticed one of the little stuffed books is already ripping apart) as you can see too, Rozz was having fun, but it's a bit juvenile for her...there is no place for the 9-12 year olds (plus, I'm enjoying the young adult books more than most adult books...it's all the magic and non-love drama) The ceilings are a little low down there and you kind of feel like you're in a cave...in fact, you can't walk 10 feet anywhere in the library and have the ceiling be the same height...it's a little disorienting (and I donated quite a bit of money in Rozzie's name so she, like other peoples children, could have their pictures posted in the children's section...and I certainly don't see any pictures down there at all...in fact, I heard they're not letting them hang anything on the walls down there...you know how kids hate colorful spaces) They also took the fish away, and there's been some struggle with whether or not they're bringing them back. OH...most of the library is done in teal as well. Really, I do look around and say $6 million, and this is it? Slippery cork flooring, teal trim/paint and carpet...really expensive chairs...couldn't we have gotten a decorator?

So, there's some good and bad things...It's certainly nice to be able to touch and see the books again...even if they have gotten rid of most of them and are now putting new copies of really old books in the new arrival section...they can't scare us away that easy!