The Wandering Librarian

Yesterday, a pleasant person stopped by our desk, introduced herself and handed us a slip of paper with an url for a blog called Every Library I Can. Ellen works part-time at a branch of the Ramsey County MN libraries but it is her avocation to visit libraries everywhere and share her thoughts and observations about them.  Yesterday, it was our turn.

As an inveterate library visitor myself, I loved getting a chance to meet and talk with Ellen. We chatted on our feelings about the behemothy boat that is a signature piece as well as an anchor around the neck of the staff.  Most visitors fall in love with this thing...understandable but it is a director's/architect's dream that in reality has been a nightmare in the library. Well, at least the outside.

We were able to show our guest the inside of the boat which is truly and nautically delightful and might be one of the most perfect program spaces I have worked in or observed. The walls are almost all bulletin board; the carpeting is wonderful; there is a small tiled area for messy crafty, goopy stuff; there is a sink and seeming miles of closets, cupboards, drawers and hidey-holes to contain our program materials and props. Ellen was justifiably delighted. As we've talked about re-purposing the boat over the years, we always assure the public that the true boat -the inside -will always be there for them.



And we have made some progress over the past few years in making the outside of the boat more reader-friendly: comfy chairs; books on display everywhere; signs that indicate it is a Reading Boat. Staffers have become masterful at keeping reading the prime focus and running and climbing slightly less prevalent.

So it meant alot to us when Ellen introduced herself and we had a chance to talk about the good and bad on the boat. And it was fun to read her post and see her thoughts about what is truly special about that piece of nautica.  Her blog is on my feeds now - not because she stopped here; but because she has a bright and lively eye and a clear love for the way each library adapts; solves and does uniquely fun things to create a special space for the community.

I want to join her journey and talk with her all day. Since I can't, I will content myself with being an armchair observer of her adventures.