Reading Resolutions

I've been talking about reading resolutions the past couple of weeks on Saturdays @ the South because I've tried to make a couple myself. The first I mentioned previously, the Clean Your Reader challenge and no, I haven't started it because I'm embedded in Scott Lynch's first of the Gentlemen Bastards series, The Lies of Locke Lamora. I'm thoroughly enjoying it, but there's lots of tiny type on those nearly 500 pages. Fortunately, this is a pretty laid-back challenge and doesn't tie its participants into ONLY reading ebooks, so after I've conquered Locke Lamora, I'll be moving on to a couple of ebooks that I've been eager to read.

I've also set my Goodreads challenge again this year. I've resolved to read as many books as I read last year, even though I read 20 more than my goal this year after reading this great blog post from Broke by Books. There happens to be plenty that I want to read, including back issues of American Libraries and National Geographic Traveler that were put aside for my MLIS.

Basically, my second post was an excuse for me to ponder doing Book Riot's awesome #ReadHarder challenge and play around it bit more with infographics, which, now that I've set up my account with PiktoChart, is way too much fun to ignore. I also wanted to see the breadth of possibilities this challenge offered and while my suggestions are basically limited to ones available at my branch, my research came up with so many cool possibilities my Goodreads "to-read" list is most definitely filled to bursting. So here's the latest Saturdays @ the South post, infographic and all. Hopefully, if anyone reading this is doing the Read Harder challenge, you'll get some suggestions!

There's a Giraffe at the Library!! *

This is the first of what I’m sure will be many posts that begin with me exclaiming, “Libraries are awesome!” mostly because, well, they are. I love their thinking-out-of-the-box approach to community engagement and I’m lucky enough to have more than one in my area taking this approach. The impetus for this particular exclamation occurred on what would otherwise have been a fairly mundane Monday.  As I drove to the Peabody Institute Library in Danvers, I saw that its entire front lawn had been turned into a sculpture garden. There must have been a dozen or so sculptures dotting the landscape in front of the building giving the entire area the feeling of a casual, modern art museum. 

It turns out this library is pairing with the Barn Workshop Gallery for a limited-time presentation of sculptures. It’s a fantastic way to meld community and culture and the location is perfect. Where else do community and culture come together on a regular basis? At the library, of course! 

I must have been too deep in my reverential musings about the natural pairing of libraries and culture because what I saw next nearly made me drive off the road. As I turned the corner to enter the parking lot I was greeted with this:

Surprise!

This detailed sculpture is an unexpected contrast to the mostly abstract collection leading up to the entrance. The giraffe is so lively it looks like it’s simply passing through on its way to downtown, pausing briefly to look both ways before crossing the street (safety first, naturally).  If the appearance of a life-sized giraffe in suburban Massachusetts wasn’t enough make the average onlooker gawk, the perfect positioning of the sculpture will. As you’re driving by, the giraffe’s head is tilted so it looks directly into the car, as though it’s curiously examining you while you’re taking in the sculpture (or, in my case, regaining control of the car).  I don’t know precisely who worked on placement, but whoever did is a diabolical genius. Not only was I startled out of my post-work haze, but once I regained my senses, I felt like, just for a moment, I was transported to a wild animal park, suddenly on safari instead of my errands. 

Since I’m an animal lover at heart, it may be that this sculpture spoke to me more than it will to other people, despite its brilliant placement. The sculpture that looks like a double-sided slide might be the one that makes other passers-by slam on their brakes in astonishment. But I won’t forget that feeling, a mixture of awe, delight and “holy crap!” anytime soon. 

The feeling may have been triggered by seeing the art piece, but it was brought to me by the library. Without the library’s collaboration with the gallery, I would never have known any of the pieces I saw existed and I would have been deprived of the experience of a giraffe greeting me at the end of my day. It’s easy to forget how much of an impact libraries can make on our lives, offering intangible, but nevertheless important encounters beyond the physical housing and distribution of materials. I sometimes forget that when I simply search the catalog online for a specific title to borrow. But because of this library, I have a picture and a memory that will make me smile for a long time. This curious, copper giraffe is my reminder of how libraries can offer great experiences to their patrons. 

More information about “Celebrating the Art of Sculpture” can be found at:

www.danverslibrary.org

www.barnworkshop.com

*Doesn’t that sound like a children’s book title?