Moments of Joy!

By Cassie Loosbrock

In spirit of our One Book One Boulder theme, staff share moments of joy from around BPL:

“I took this photo of our fabulous volunteer Jason Cho's 4-year-old niece, who tagged along with him to volunteer for our showing of Frozen II. She was so delightful! Dressed up in her Frozen dress, she worked hard pushing chairs and moving items into the closet and setting out napkins on the kids' tables. She added a spark and *sparkle * of joy to the setting up of the event.”

-Barbara Magill

"Meadows has recently acquired an inflatable dinosaur costume, and it’s the best thing ever! It brings so much joy, not just to patrons, but also to us staff. Here is our very own Monnie Nilsson in the suit, chomping on some bubbles shot from Barbara Magill’s bubble gun at storytime! " -Jessica

Ashcraft

“At the end of January, Carnegie Library hosted a National History Day event with an open house and research rendezvous. It was a joy to see teens in the Carnegie reading room looking at archival materials. It was also a joy to collaborate with BPL staff from other departments to create this event—everyone did what they do best, and the event turned out even better than expected.” -Nicole

Docimo

Cassie hosted THE cutest Yoga storytime at Meadows! Seeing all the little ones do the poses with their adults makes your heart burst with joy.

-Jessica Ashcraft

By Rebecca Doyle

What is your earliest memory of the library? Did you attend a library program that has stuck with you over the years? Was there a librarian who helped inspire your love of reading? Do you still remember the children’s area of your first library? Given our choice of profession, it’s not surprising that so many of us have fond memories of our childhood library visits. Here are some recollections from fellow staff members.

My earliest library memory was going to Storytime! They had big pillows, almost like couch cushions for us to sit on The library in my hometown (Crested Butte) was originally an old schoolhouse and was built in 1883 so it had a really old but cozy feel to it. I love going as often as possible!

-Celine Cooper

My first library was actually Boulder Public Library! My family often took the bus downtown from rural north Boulder, and the library was a regular part of my life. The 1974 addition was brand-new when I was coming here as a kid, and the children's area was where it is now--except that it wasn't as big then*. I remember lounging to read on a piece of furniture made to look like a huge cloth book! It had dips and valleys to curl up in, and it has stuck in my mind all these years later. I also have fond memories of visiting the Pooh Garden statues that were outdoors below a bridge that led out from the south doors (I'm a little hazy on the exact location). One of the books I remember checking out was called "Upside-Down Town", where everything was wacky--and someone had a gadget called a "flash-dark" which shone out darkness instead of light!

*These days, when I tell people about the history of the building, I show them where the 1992 addition meets the 1974 part, and do a little "time warping" by stepping from one side to the other!

-Alice Eccles

When I was a kid, I was homeschooled, and we spent a LOT of time at our local public libraries. We often went to the neighborhood branch library in Irmo, South Carolina, and it was a special trip to go all the way downtown to the big Main Richland Library in the capital city of Columbia At the neighborhood branch library, the head Children’s Librarian, Miss Becky (I still remember her name!) hosted a book club for homeschooled kids. I remember we read How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell and one of the kids in the book club dug up some worms and fried them for all of us to try!! For many years after the homeschool book club, when I’d stop by the branch library, Miss Becky would recognize me and greet me by name.

-Christine Burke

Myfirstlibrarymemoryisfrom second grade,ofthe enticingrow of hardcoverNancyDrew mysteries onthetopshelf oftheback wall stacksinthe children's section oftheColumbiaPublicLibraryin Columbia,MO,whereI grew up.TheNancyDrew stories—with their classic yellow andblue spines and1950s-lookingcovers-werethefirst chapterbooksI ever read,andlike manykids,I wantedto readthe whole series,in order,RIGHTNOW.TheCPL librarians,intryingto get me more and morebooksinthe series, eventuallyhadto resorttointerlibraryloan.I rememberthe aweI feltknowingthat oneinstallmenthad cometo me allthe wayfrom Fulton,MO--I mean geez,that was a whole30 milesdownI-70 fromhome!Andtheysentthisbook. .to me!Such a miracle!

-TerzahBecker

I gotkicked out ofStorytime as akid.My brother wasthe smart and quiet childthat satthrough stories,also a year olderthan me.I wasthe onethathadto go out of the roomtokeepthe peace.Seriously, been alibrarianfor alongtime now…but that always makes me smile.I gotkicked out ofStorytime.Morethan once.More thantwice.

-LauraHankins

My earliest memory is of the Brighton Library in Michigan. It was in the tiny old firehouse next to the mill pond. Storytime was held upstairs right next to the firepole! I DESPERATELY wanted to try going down that pole!

I remember going back to that building 12 years later when it was a bookstore and the old building / books odor vividly called that memory to mind Sadly, the second floor wasn’t open to the public. My first library job was for that same library 30 years after that storytime pole yearning. No poles, but a gorgeous children’s garden with open space behind the library.

-Kathy

Lane

My elementary school library had a claw footed bathtub full of pillows. There was some sort of rotation for who got to read in the tub on library day Hopefully, there was some sort of rotation to wash the pillows and blankets in there too, but who knows?! Either way, it was highly motivating for 5-year-old Tim to read, read, read

-Tim McClleland

The first library my family went to when I was a child was in a converted colonial mansion in Leesburg, Virginia We lived 15 minutes outside of town an eternity for me as a child so going to the library was always a treat I remember going down a wrought-iron spiral staircase to get to the small, dark basement where the VHS collection was kept. When they built the large new public library on the outskirts of town, the previous building was converted to a history and genealogy library called the Thomas Balch Library. Probably a more appropriate use of the architecture.

-Rebecca Doyle

Growing up in Honolulu, I walked to the local library about 3 blocks away from my house on a regular basis as a little kid (back when kids could do that alone) I don’t recall my exact first library memory, but an early indelible memory I had was this: I emember sneaking into the Kaimuki Public Library’s adult section when I was in first ade. I sat on the floor and pulled out book after book trying to make sense of what I as seeing. I saw Slaughterhouse 5 and was scared to look inside because I thought t was about killing animals for meat. I pulled out Alistair Cooke’s America and was hocked by pictures showing atrocities that directly led to the Civil Rights Movement. The images were indelible to this day I sat on that cool floor, hour after hour, book ter book, taking it all in The librarian would do her rounds and sometimes smile and ther times frown at me quizzically, but never shooed me back to the kids’ section I lso distinctly recall participating in the library’s summer theater program when I was in second grade where I played the both a court jester and the princess in The Princess and the Pea I got to climb onto a tall stack of mattresses -- exhilarating! I liked the princess outfit and the climbing Still remember it all

-Monnie Nilsson