In our newly renovated library, we have an area dedicated to quiet.   We try hard to keep the atmosphere peaceful and serene, perfect for studying, reading, and contemplating.  We don’t ban computers; many people sit at the tables with their laptops or tablets and quietly work.  But we do ask people to turn off the ringer on their cell phones.

Here is the text of our sign posted in the area.

Designated QUIET AREA

This area of our library was built in 1916 and has been restored as much as possible to that period of time.  Take a step back into the past and enjoy it as if it were 1916!  We appreciate your honoring these rules for this area:

• No cell phones please  (meaning either ringers or conversations)
• Only the quietest of conversations among the  people here (think “shhhh”)
• Laptops are allowed (yes, that’s anachronistic but with all these tables we recognize it’s a good place for computer work)
• No sound allowed from computers, iPods or any other device that didn’t exist in 1916

We also recently put up some wall words in this area.  Here’s a photo:

Longhand for “Shhhh!”

I’ve always loved that quotation because for me libraries inspire reverence.    Libraries can’t always deliver on the quiet part and it’s open to debate whether or not they should.  But if you have a building that is well-planned and large enough for your community, it’s possible to have a mixture of quiet and noisy spaces.  A library should have a place where you can gather, discuss, and connect, a place where you can bring your baby even if you know crying is likely, and a place where you can sit alone and dream about tomorrow.

Not only do we have different needs at different times in our own lives, but we are not all the same.  Over the years, I’ve had people leave the library complaining about the noise on the same day someone else would mention to me that the they didn’t feel comfortable bringing their 2-year-old to the library because it was “too quiet an atmosphere.”

One of the best things about our library expansion and renovation is that our building is now able to accommodate the widely varied needs of our citizens.    It’s comforting to know that whatever the future holds, one of our library’s most important contributions is to offer a physical space for the crying baby, the cramming student, the scholarly thinker, the social connector, the happy retiree, the driven genealogist, and the auto mechanic on a mission for that electrical diagram.

We have much to offer our citizens in terms of community space, much like what’s discussed in this interesting piece entitled:  Libraries that matter.  As libraries continue to reinvent themselves, the role of the physical space seems ever more important.

The words in the Niedecker Room are Lorine’s, of course.  A verse in the poem entitled  –  Linnaeus in Lapland, these words manage to evoke a mood and provide a glimpse into Lorine’s story.  They are positioned perfectly all the way around the room and when you enter your eyes will be drawn to them.  As you circle the room absorbing it visually, it’s likely your mind will be wrapping itself around the words.  First you’ll think: “Where do I start reading?”  Then: “What does it mean?”  Finally:  “Where can I read more?”

The photos don’t begin to capture the beauty of  Lorine’s carefully chosen words brought to life on the walls in our library.  Please note that I’m not showing *all* the wall words here.  To see them all you’ll just have to visit!  A great big thanks to Ann Engelman for the idea, Amy Lutzke for finding the words, Mary Kay Grunow for tackling the layout and design, and Greg Misfeldt and Jeff Armstrong for the installation.

"Hey, if there's a misspelling, do you think anybody will notice?"

Installation complete!  I’m happy to report that it’s positioned perfectly on the wall, absolutely level, spelled correctly, and…well…simply stunning.

Thank you Greg and Jeff!

So why did we choose this quote from Longfellow?

The love of learning, the sequestered nooks, and all the sweet serenity of books.

Well, because it reminds us about the importance libraries as a place.  In this digital age, I think we are wise to remember the role libraries play as a public place for people who want to settle themselves into a sequestered nook and read, think, and learn.   Recently there was an interesting discussion about just that at Will Manley’s blog which you can find here.  (If you read the comments, you’ll see I made a comment about our library.)   Will Manley is one of my favorite librarians.  He actually started his career in Burlington, Wisconsin, spent many years in the profession and eventually became the city manager in Tempe, Arizona before his retirement.   Irreverent yet thoughtful, if you want to learn about libraries and life, his blog is well worth reading.

Back to the point.  We’ve got more wall words coming.   Stay tuned to see which nooks and crannies will be next.

Recently, a group of trustees, citizens, and staff of the Irvin L. Young Memorial Library in Whitewater visited our library for a tour.  I showed them behind the scenes of our library and answered their thoughtful questions.  Sometimes I said, “If we could do it over, we’d change such and such.”  More often I was able to say, “We talked about this a great deal when we were planning and are very pleased with how it’s working now.”

Kudos to all associated with the Irvin L. Young Memorial Library for continuing to do the homework necessary to find the solution to their library’s shortage of space in Whitewater.   A project of this nature doesn’t happen overnight and it requires a commitment to the vision and willingness to keep working until all the pieces come together.

A couple of days after the tour, we received the following email from Whitewater citizen Jim Nies. I read it and was simply awestruck by Jim’s ability to convey the importance of libraries.   He’s clearly got the vision thing covered!

The text of Jim’s essay is reprinted here (with his permission to share):

I was surprised when I first visited the Fort Atkinson Public Library several years ago, surprised to find a beautiful Spanish mission style building, with a warm and welcoming interior, stocked with a fine collection.

Visiting again after more than a year’s absence I was even more impressed. A large addition has been seamlessly integrated into the existing structure and the interior fashioned into a sensory delight.

A big, sunny children’s section, centered around a reading tree, occupies a good bit of the south side of the building. Nearby, story time room is entered by stepping through a wall into a field of toadstools, ferns, and trees. Young adult space, appropriately decorated, including several “diner” booths, is well stocked with YA lit.

A broad staircase sweeps up to the adult area where there are a number of private study rooms, many quiet private places, a large semi-circular periodical space featuring easy chairs spaced widely about, a very quiet research and reference area, and a large computer lab (all but one machine in use as I looked in).

This library is an amazing accomplishment is this time of economic difficulty and privatization fever, for a library is the archetype of the commons, the embodiment of the idea of sharing resources for the public good. The D.F. Public Library is also an amazing accomplishment in that its reconceptualization and remodeling was done at a time when the very necessity of libraries is in question—in the digital age a bricks and mortar building housing ink on paper books seems to many to be an unnecessary extravagance.

But consider this…

Children’s books will always be printed on paper. Although many great learning experiences are now available on the iPad, kids and their parents will always want real books. The resurgence of children’s book stores in this the age of Amazon and e-books proves the point. Kids and parents will always want to feel and smell and turn real pages, to browse through bins and piles, to listen to stories, to be with other kids.

Young adults will always want to socialize, and many will appreciate the chance to do it in a safe place, where they can talk about significant things, where they can sense the power of the knowledge that is their heritage, where they can be around and read about other interesting people.

The periodical room might seem an anachronism what with Google News, Huffington Post, and on-line editions. But still and always, a place to read and browse both what remains in print as well as all that’s digital, will be a place well liked by many. How pleasant many find it to sit for a spell immersed in current events, surrounded by the library’s quiet business, exchanging, perhaps, a word or two with a friend or passer-by. With wi-fi, e-reader loans, and patron access to all kinds of online subscriptions, D.F. provides the best of both worlds in one very pleasant place.

Quiet study rooms, group meeting and discussion rooms, nooks and crannies for individual reading, writing or contemplation—these are all here. And then there’s the computer lab, where people who don’t have ready computer and internet access at home can connect with online resources. The reference section stocked with often specialized but often very necessary print and online information, providing the knowledge that is power, is big and bright with lots of table space and lots of elbow-room.

And then the stacks. Books, multi-media materials, more books. A waste of space, perhaps when a Kindle can hold hundreds. But then…writing has been a part of us as humans since the dawn of civilization, the printed word for many centuries. As inhabitants of culture, ink is in our blood. Even the most technologically adept of us often like to read a printed book.

Really, books are here to stay and so we need a place to see and touch and feel and browse, to sample and discover, to sit and read a while—we a place for books. Dwight Foster is a lovely place for such. The stacks are brightly lit, well spaced, well organized. There are plenty of comfortable chairs.

The library in Fort Atkinson shows that properly conceptualized and creatively realized the public library has a secure future; it shows that public libraries can long continue their role as the intellectual and social hub of a community. The ten richest people in town couldn’t come close to affording what the Dwight Foster Public Library has to offer, but together the people of the town have created something wonderful, and it’s available to everyone.  ~Written by Jim Nies, Whitewater, Wisconsin

Thank you, Jim!

Dwight Foster Public Library annual circulation: 2000-2011

As we reflect on 2011 here at the Dwight Foster Public Library, we can know one thing for sure:  we grew!  We grew both physically and in terms of usage.   Our successful Foster Growth capital campaign allowed us to renovate and expand our library, adding 12,000 square feet to our existing 21,000.  That growth allowed us to grow in terms of service to our community.  More people than ever not only visited our library to see all that had changed, but they also checked out more items than any other year in the previous ten…by a considerable sum.

A library’s circulation numbers don’t tell the whole story because, by definition, a circulation is simply a count of a physical item that has left the building.   It doesn’t measure how many people read a newspaper, came to use a computer, asked a question, made a photocopy or used a meeting room.   It doesn’t even count e-book circulations.  (That’s a topic for another day.)   However, a library circulation, limited measure that it is, is still a very good way to compare a library to itself over time.   I think the chart above shows a remarkable pattern of steadiness and vitality, particularly in light of our world’s increasingly rapid move from the physical to the digital world.

If you want to ponder another measure, here is a chart depicting the number of library visits based on our people counter (purchased in 2010 and located at the front entry).

Dwight Foster Public Library visits - 2011 compared to 2010

All in all, it was a year of enormous change and significant growth for our library.  If you’d like to read more, you can find the full 2011 annual report here.

Handwritten note (with name removed & permission for sharing)

Every once in awhile something simple can touch your heart.  This “thank you” letter received in the mail at our library right around Christmas sure did that for me.

It reminded me why I entered this profession all those years ago and have never lost the burning desire to provide the best possible library services to all who enter.   Plain and simple: libraries rock.  (You can read more about the importance of public libraries here…and there…and everywhere.)

But more than that, it underscored for me my burgeoning belief that  in this world of instant communication, nothing has more power than a handwritten letter delivered by the United States Postal Service.    As our world shifts and reshapes itself, I’d like to think that the future generations won’t forget that.

The final “take away” for me in this letter is that no matter how grand the building or how excellent the search engine, it’s still the staff that counts the most.

Kudos to our staff for their tireless commitment to the goal of helping people use this library.   Our project was several years of disruption and displacement.  Through it all, the staff made it their responsibility to deliver excellent library service…one person at a time.

As you can see, it’s appreciated.

Jorn Mork's cranes (photo courtesy of Cindy Vergenz)

These cranes, created by Jorn Mork,  are part of the youth department entry art in the Dwight Foster Public Library Batterman Children’s Library that was recently commissioned as a part of our expansion and renovation project.  Stop by and see the detail; they are so beautiful! Look for this inscription:  Sandhill cranes flying, dancing, lifetime mates.  (You can’t see it on the photo.  You’ll have to come look in person.)

(Click on the first photo and it’ll take you to the gallery view where you can see larger views of the photographs.)

We are very grateful to artist Jorn Mork and craftsman Bill Bale for creating and installing such a magnificent work of art for our children’s library entrance.   Come in and see for yourself; the detail is amazing!   And while it’s almost complete, there are still a couple more pieces coming before it’s 100% complete.  I’d like to publicly thank the members of the public art committee:  Ann Engelman (chair), Shelly Fosdal, Karen Gomez, Mary Kay Grunow, and Rachel Nelan.  (Photos courtesy of Ann Engelman)

A Kindle isn’t a place.  Therefore it doesn’t kindle in me the same sense of inspiration and awe.   Don’t get me wrong,  I think electronic access is important and helpful.  I own an e-reader.  Just try to get my smart phone away from me.  But, at the end of the day, it’s still about the place.

It’s that magical, mystical, beautiful place called the public library.  Where everybody knows your name.  (Well, okay, that might be true in some libraries but not all.  I’m getting carried away.)  This coming weekend, artists Jorn Mork and Bill Bale will be installing our beautiful new youth department entry art.    It is our hope that this piece will inspire in our children and our future children a love for books and learning.  A sense of place.  A memory worth cherishing.

Stay tuned for photos very soon.

The house has incredible wood doors and trim, beautiful pine and maple flooring, architectural heating grates and other items that may be of interest to people who are interested in preserving and reusing them for their own projects.  The wood used years ago is nothing short of spectacular and definitely worth recycling.

You can see the ad with all the details here.  We have scheduled 2 days for inspection if you would like to see the items in person:  Wednesday, November 2 and Saturday, November 5th.  Both days the house will be open from 1 to 2 p.m.  Appointments for other days and times are also welcome.

Bids are due at 2 p.m. on Monday, November 14th at the Municipal Building.  Please help spread the word to anyone you think might be interested in this unique opportunity for salvaging a variety of building items!