Reflection 1 - Library Visit

Yesterday I visited the Marion Public Library; a place I've been before, but never really actually paid attention to what's inside because I was being drug around by my grandma, who just stopped in to browse the fiction section and get a few more books to read. I had never actually "looked" at this library before. The setup is actually pretty neat. When you walk inside, the check out counters, the reserves desk, and the CD collections are off to the left. If you walk past the counters and go towards the back, you pass shelves of DVDs and books on tape. It's actually quite amazing how many people check out books on tape - there were several people browsing the section. Past the DVDs, you walk right to the information desk, which sits in the middle of the library instead of at the front of the library, where they usually are. Then you have your fiction, non-fiction, and young adult sections that sit behind the information desk and wrap around to the back of the building. The computers sit right by the young adult section, where you could of course find the greater part of the library crowd. If people weren't at the computers, they were either browsing the fiction section or the DVDs. There weren't many kids around because most of them are either at daycare or school, but there was a set of parents and their toddler sitting at a table reading together (which was adorable). The age range of the people around would be by my guess about 19-80, and since I went at 11, the crowd was small. 

     So what about the children's section? The children's section was actually really nicely sized. It's to the right when you walk in the front entrance and it's neatly separated into sections. Along the wall you have your chapter books and children's magazines. Then, in rows stretching to the back of the area, there are non-fiction books, novels, and graphic novels, as well as resource books (dictionaries, thesaurus, etc). Across from that area are smaller shelves filled with picture books and picture story books, and then perpendicular to those shelves are the toddler books and the "I can read" books. In the middle of that entire area is a brightly painted sitting area filled with tiny tables, chairs, and an area for children to sit and listen to a reader read books aloud, or even watch a puppet show (I believe they also show movies sometimes as well). It was a very cute and quaint little area, and I liked it a lot. It was easy for me to find books that I wanted to check out. 

     Then, there's the Young Adult section, which was set up very poorly and had barely any organization. The books were in alphabetical order by author, but the shelves weren't together really at all - there was one over on one side, two on another wall, and it was really confusing. I didn't like it at all. They had a small book award section, but it was only for Newberry and Caldecott. The children's section didn't even have a awards section from what I observed. It was interesting to see that peculiar set up compared to the organization of the other sections. The computers were right across the way, but other than that, there isn't technology available to use. Unlike the new CR library, there aren't iPads or TV areas. It's just a simple library with about 12 public computers for everyone to use, and you know what? That's okay, because simple is better in my eyes. You don't need all of that stuff to have a decent library. As long as there's lots of books of all shapes, sizes, and genres, what else matters?

     I found a lot out about the library yesterday. I found out where everything is, what my resources are (computers, books, the ability to check out all sorts of DVDs and CDs and what they have to offer for entertainment for children), and how to use those resources. I had a fun time walking around and checking out books because it brought back memories for me with every familiar title I read. It made me think of what I remembered about those authors and those books that shaped my childhood, and everything I had forgotten as well. I loved it, and I'm actually excited to go back in a couple of weeks and add to my functional bibliography.