FFPL: Busy in So Many Ways
Honing up on hobbies. Trying out new technology. Choosing a good chapter book. These are just some of the ways that people use a public library. On September 27th, I was working the Saturday shift at FFPL. Around 2:00pm, while I was walking through the different sections and spaces of the library, I took note of the many different ways that people were utilizing their community library. All of these observations were made within a 15-minute time frame.
A mother and her son were using the catalog to search for more books on origami. The young reader had pretty much exhausted our collection in both children’s and adult nonfiction and was searching to see what was available through other libraries. He was particularly excited about finding some resources on Halloween origami. Books are such a great way to learn a new hobby. We have books on rock painting, calligraphy, geocaching, and yes, even basket weaving.
A preschooler was playing with blocks in our early learning area while his mother sat near him, reading a book. Last week I was giving a tour of the building to a group of local high school students who are enrolled in the Work-Based Learning program at KSS. As we passed through one of the early learning spaces, I stopped to ask them why they think libraries have toys and areas of play for young children. One student guessed it was for “fun,” and one thought it was to “help with boredom.” Both are valid answers but I took the opportunity to explain that play is the work of children. Libraries carve out play spaces so that children have opportunities to engage and explore, with toys and with other children.
Two sisters had made themselves comfortable in the children’s fiction section. They were both sitting on the floor, in between the aisles, with half a dozen or so books splayed out in front of them. They looked deep in concentration, trying to pick the titles they wanted to bring home. As I walked by, I reminded them that there is no limit to how many books you can check out from the library!
The community room was in use as well. The library was hosting a teen workshop on how to write great college application essays. We had four high school students and one parent in attendance, both in-person and via Zoom, for this informative, virtual class led by a Loft Literary Center Teaching Artist from the Cities. This writing workshop was funded through a state Legacy Grant.
Nestled in the corner cafe booth of the teen section were two M State students studying for an upcoming nursing exam. Thick textbooks, laptops, and pages of notes were covering the table. The library is a popular place for high school and college students to study. Free wifi is available throughout the entire building and there are ample tables, booths, and study rooms for use. We have teens who come to the library on a regular basis to study, both independently and in groups.
A father and his two children made an appointment on Saturday afternoon to use one of our 3D printers. His children are in elementary school and they both took the Intro to 3D Printing class I taught on September 26th. Our policy is that once a student has taken a 3D printing class, they can come back to use the machine independently. Both of these children were so excited to use the printer that they came back the very next day. The Intro to 3D Printing class is offered throughout the year and is one of our most popular youth programs.
How else were community members using their library on a Saturday afternoon? A father and daughter were working together on a jigsaw puzzle. Five adults were on computers. A young man was playing the electric piano (headphones are provided). There were teens and adults in the small study rooms and larger conference rooms. A child was using the microscope to examine plant life. And one of our amazing teen volunteers was helping out by shelving DVDs and picture books.
It is impressive and inspiring to me that within the briefest of windows, just 15 minutes, the library was being used in over a dozen different ways. How many different ways were people using this space during the seven hours we were open on Saturday? How many different ways during the 60 hours we are open every week? Last year, we averaged over 400 visitors a day. That’s a lot of different people using FFPL in a lot of different ways. How do you like to use the library?
Arielle McCune is the Youth Services Librarian at the Fergus Falls Public Library