Lincoln Highway: Geneva Public Library

This was one of the fun libraries to visit!

You know that I’m like a library parent: they are all special, all unique, and I love them all equally. Having said that, there are some where I have more fun visiting, and in this one the staff were so lovely and helpful and chatty - it was wonderful!

This really seems to be a theme in the Midwestern libraries - but they all look so new and so pretty! Sure, it’s not the only important thing about a library. But a nice new building, something with that lovely landscaping, clean - all of that means the community is there, supporting the library. And THAT is absolutely wonderful!!

There was even art outside!

I am forever parking in the wrong place, or on the wrong side of the building, and not finding the front door. (It’s a perpetual problem. The HOURS I have spent trying to find my way from parking garages into hospitals and airports is time I’ll never recover.) But in this case, there was art on both sides of the building - so I got lucky!! Look at how nice these are!! I love community art in community buildings.

This is a constant theme now: look at those comfortable tables and chairs! A couple of decades ago, I was working in a library that was building a new building. I was quite junior, but got to be there as they were picking out colors and furniture. We all sat in the different chairs, to see what would be comfortable. Having even more options now is excellent!

(If you listen to the Glamorous Trash podcast where Chelsea Devantez covers female celebrity podcasts, and I absolutely recommend it!, she sings a little song when repeating themes come up. I’m now hearing that in my head whenever I get excited about the cool seating in libraries!)

Another theme: my ability to take crooked photos! Oh well. This is awesome enough to overcome that! I absolutely love to see these Library of Things displays. I remember when libraries first started with these, and of course the naysayers who tried to say these weren’t books so not appropriate in a library. I am thrilled those voices were ignored, and libraries offer all sorts of fun options for things that can be shared across the community. (Sharing: it’s our thing!)

This library building is pretty new, and is already moving things around to be sure they are best serving their community! I was really excited about this room. I know in my library, this kind of program is quite popular with our users; and we learned about things from other libraries. People want to socialize, and to do things with their hands. (Get Off Social Media!!! If all you read is that the world is terrible and a dumpster fire - the algorithm is lying to you! Do some DIY crafting at your library instead of doomscrolling!) I love the range of options available here!!!

And another great theme: fireplaces and comfortable seating! AND puzzles in libraries! I love all of these things. We want to encourage people to come to the library, to enjoy their time, and to use our programs, materials, and services. This library is doing great work with all of that!

Not only are there some great things here, for people to check out and enjoy - but look how nice these displays are! They have nice signs, easy to read and clear. They look fancy and tidy - ready to have things taken off the shelves!

Setting up these comfortable seating areas around the library is always a good idea. People may want to sit down for a few minutes and browse through a few books. Or they may come with a couple of others, and want to sit and chat for a few minutes. Comfortable seating accomplishes all of these things!

Ooooohhhhh…..I LOVE THIS! This isn’t the first library, but I’m always so happy to see this kind of signage. See how it has clear call numbers? It also has the descriptions of what is in those call numbers. Because you know who DOES NOT KNOW Dewey or LC systems? PATRONS DON’T KNOW THEM! We need to do more to encourage patrons to grab and enjoy books!

And finally, this is only part of the space, because it was quite crowded. So, picture these beautiful windows extending around in both directions. All of these newspapers continue on to the right from this view. And there is a ton of really great seating. So of course it’s crowded! Who wouldn’t want to sit there and enjoy themselves?

Maybe today is a good day to go enjoy yourself with sitting in some comfortable areas and reading some books, or doing a puzzle, or just enjoying yourself for a while! Enjoy your day!!