My Library Reopened!

              This afternoon, I attended the grand reopening of my childhood library. This small community branch first opened in November 1996, when I was two months old, and it has been an ongoing backdrop for my life. As a child, I spent many happy hours in the book stacks, and once I got older, I volunteered for four years. I then became a paid employee, working there for another four years before the library closed for expansion. As of today, I had not set foot in this library for a year and a half, and it was surreal to finally go back. It was also surreal to see the sun again, because it had been rainy and overcast all week, and the sun made its appearance only an hour before we were supposed to gather out in front of the library for the ribbon-cutting.

              According to a speaker at today's event, this library used to be the fourth smallest out of twenty branches, but did more business than any of the others. The burden on this library decreased when a new, regional-sized library opened ten minutes away, but it is still a favorite spot in the community, serving a wide demographic with many different needs. This library serves thousands of people yearly, and we have been so eager for it to reopen. The project was only supposed to take a year, but construction and weather delays vindicated my usual pessimism, and it took six months longer than it was supposed to.

              Still, even though construction setbacks are unfortunate, they can't compare to the Great Recession, which delayed this project for TEN YEARS. In 2007, my county voted in favor of a library bond, but the financial crisis made library construction and expansion projects impossible for a number of years. The people who designed this 5,000 square foot library in the late nineties never could have imagined the amount of business it would be doing by 2013, when we finally got an overdue renovation. The new carpet, paint, computers, desks, and shelves held us over for another four years, but in September 2017, it was well past time for us to expand to a 9,000 square foot library.

              After this library closed, I started working at the regional one nearby. I am going to stay there for health reasons, avoiding long-term exposure to the expanded library's new-construction chemicals, but I have still been very excited to see the finished product. Even though I am content where I am now, and grateful for the opportunity to continue investing in relationships there, a lot of my heart is still at this smaller branch, and it was incredibly special to go back there today. It meant a lot to me to interact with my former coworkers, explore the beautiful new building, and think about the ways that this library has blessed and shaped me throughout my life.

              Before the ribbon-cutting, a pastor provided the invocation, asking God to fill this building with His presence. She prayed for this space to nurture academic, personal, and spiritual growth by inspiring people, deepening their relationships, and helping them experience God's divine light. I got kind of emotional, because I was not expecting this. I think of the library as an ideologically neutral space, but in my experience, it has been filled with God's presence and joy, and I have been forever changed by the experiences that I have had there. I am so excited for how the expanded library will continue to serve the community for years to come.

              During one of the speeches, a system director told us that he has been involved in the county library system for thirty years. A random child in the crowd cheered, "YAY!" The director responded, "Thank you! You should come to my staff meetings!"

              It was fun to hear from different people who were involved in the library's original opening. As I mentioned, I was two months old at the time, so I have no memories of it, but this library and I grew up together. I have many fond memories of staff members there who have now moved on to more administrative roles in the county, and it was fun to see them again today.

              Children lined up by the entryway to cut the thick, blue ribbon strung between the building's columns. This library has always been very family-focused, and even though the much-bigger regional library in the area has a lot of great staff members and children's programs, a lot of families have missed the small-town feel of this library. I'm so excited for kids to start enjoying this library again. Someday, just like me, these kids will have grown up, and I hope that they will have wonderful memories here.

              My mom and I saw this mural through the windows once when we drove by the mostly finished library, and we were both so impressed with the design. The colors and shapes appeal to me immensely, and I could stare at this wall for a very, very long time without getting tired of it.

The bathroom was the most recognizable part of the building.

Here's the window that has given me joy since I was old enough to be aware of it.

              The tile is totally redone and looks fantastic! I'm not usually the type of person to go for bathroom mirror selfies, but this seemed like an appropriate occasion.

               Since I used to work in this library, I got an informal tour of some staff-only spaces. I love the full window in the workroom, and was also very interested in this box. Don't you wish YOU were Theresa?

              The adult books are no longer split into genre sections, so general fiction, mysteries, romance, inspirational, and sci-fi/fantasy/horror are all filed together alphabetically. I'm not sure how I feel about this.

            However, I do know how I feel about THIS NATURAL LIGHT. Also, now that I've done it twice, I can say that it's a tradition for me to check out a brand new copy of an Agatha Christie book whenever I go to a new or expanded library in the system.

              I was standing in this library when I first diagnosed myself with OCD. The title pictured below wasn't involved, but on September 6, 2015, I unloaded the outdoor book drop, saw a book about OCD, casually flipped it open to a checklist of symptoms, and discovered that All My Life's Problems had a medical explanation. Glory!

               Even before I had any explanation for my mental health problems, books like these greatly increased my quality of life. If you live nearby and ever want to read every single Peanuts strip in creation, my library system owns the complete series.

              We also have wonderful stuffed friends! If you have never read the Piggie and Elephant books by Mo Willems, you should. They, too, will improve your quality of life.

              Here are some of my books at the self-checkout. (I showed restraint and only brought home eight.) The book visible here is one that my siblings and I have long awaited. When I first requested it, I thought I would get a copy soon after the book was published, but that was back in August 2017, and the title is still listed as "on order." Now IMAGINE my excitement when I discovered copies on the shelf today! The library system still hasn't updated anything related to the thirty-something copies they ordered system-wide, but they ordered two paperback copies of this book for the expanded library's all-new collection, and my siblings and I are thrilled.

              This supply closet is FULL of brand new books that the library couldn't fit out in the stacks. Some of these are stacked four deep, and there are multiple floor-to-ceiling shelves. As people take out the new books, the librarians will have plenty to refill the shelves with.

               There is a narrow window in one wall that looks out to the playground where I spent many happy hours of my childhood. The architects who designed this building maximized its potential for natural light and joy, and it is such an inspiration.

              Speaking of natural light, I loved the sunshine and shadows in the parking lot when I went back out to my car. Because this gorgeous afternoon followed after a week of unending rain, it was like God was saying, "Sure, you can have good weather for the ribbon cutting! I love this library too."