Question: Why is the Library Your Go To Place to Escape?

Answer: Is It Though?

Over on FB, I posited a question - what do you want me to write 250 words about? Whoa boy, but did people have some great suggestions. Many of them wanted me to write about ice cream for some reason. I think the heat is getting to us. I’ll get to ice cream, I promise.

But for today, a subject that I’ve spent an enormous amount of time thinking about, even before being asked the question. Ready? Let’s go.

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My library, above 1906, with first director Francis Griffin and below today with your humble author.

TOPIC: The library as my go to place to escape

My knee-jerk thought about this was that obviously a library can be a sort of oasis, and Lord knows we’ve all needed an oasis lately. In principal, my library (any library really) ought to be a zone of non-judgement, of learning, of community and fellowship and maybe even fun. We try to be those things. We try so hard to be the sort of place where when you walk in, you can relax your shoulders and take a deep breath.

If one single person in my community feels uncomfortable here or feels unwelcome, we have failed.

In practice, however, this is all hard work. Any librarian that tells you creating a safe, inclusive space for your entire community - in our case all 6,000 or so people - is easy, is lying.

And since the poster was addressing me specifically, things get even more complicated. Our library, by any comparable measurement, is too small for our community, for our circulation, and for the heavy facility usage.

So, creating a comfortable space - a place to feel welcome, a place to escape - is more challenging when the north wall is rotting in the sun, or the porch boards are falling apart, or the sink water suddenly comes up yellow.

These are not complaints. Read that again because I don’t want to be yelled at. This is part of the job. And, if we’re doing our job properly, it’s a part of the job that our patrons - those wide-eyed kids tracking down the latest graphic novel, or the book club laughing over the latest novel, or the teenager who just needs a place to sit quietly and center - should not concern themselves with, and maybe not even know about.

But I do, and I must confess to the dear reader that asked me the question, it sometimes drives me nutty. Perhaps we conclude this question with two parts then. Yes, I find comfort and escape in libraries. But in my own library, my focus is to make sure others do. Does that make sense?

Thanks for the theme and question! This was also more than 250 words! See you tomorrow with another one.