Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, martini in the other, totally worn out and screaming,
"WOO HOO, what a ride!"

Saturday, September 8, 2012

Saturday Snapshot

 Saturday Snapshot is hosted by At Home with Books. To participate in this meme post a photo that you (or a friend or family member) have taken then leave a direct link to your post in the Mister Linky. Photos can be old or new, and be of any subject as long as they are clean and appropriate for all eyes to see. How much detail you give in the caption is entirely up to you. Please don't post random photos that you find online.
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The last two weeks I've shared photos from my local public library (exterior, interior) and I need one more week to finish. There were just too many photos and I wanted to share the beautiful details with you. I know these photos don't show all the books on the shelves but I promise you there are plenty. I was focusing more on the other elements of the rooms.

The second floor and other select areas are now off limits to the public except for tours. I joined one several years ago but really need to do it again. There is a small apartment that used to be the living quarters for the head librarian, a study room, access to the cupola, backstage corridors and dressing rooms for the auditorium and other fascinating areas. I couldn't believe how many rooms there were!

It wouldn't be so much fun to visit if we didn't have an amazing staff. The head librarian is a dedicated young man who works hard to keep the charm of the original design while constantly finding new ways to improve the form and function of the whole library. The head librarian in the children's section is a wonderful woman who is creative, fun and kind. The other librarians are always helpful and friendly and the grounds crew does an impeccable job keeping the entire place looking terrific. I've met some grumpy, scary librarians in my day but you won't find them here! Thanks for your patience as I've shared my library with you.
Picture Book Room with small scale Windsor chairs and other furniture. Notice the wooden carvings of characters on top of tallest bookshelves and framed prints on the walls of famous storybook scenes.
This room also features a fireplace and hosts Story Hour for preschoolers, along with other activities.
My kids spent many hours in these little chairs!
The Children's Room is always bustling! Kids can find a cozy chair to read in or use the computer area for work and play.
The walls are still the original shade of Japanese Rose. This room includes a fireplace faced with marble, built-in bookcases and paneled walls.
The chandeliers were custom-made and imported from Holland. Details show silhouettes of storybook characters.
Local History Room has beautiful built in display cases, another fireplace with marble facing and wood paneling, Doric columns, comfy chairs and a large table for meetings or workspace.
Some of the display cases for rare books and other items. The Beatrix Potter collection is on the right.
Originally used for a meeting space, this room was converted in 1991 to hold the large print and audio books. Notice the beautiful wood trim in even this small room.
This is the remodeled, 301-seat auditorium that is used all year for various community and private functions. No lights were on so I couldn't get the best photo to show off it's beauty but I still wanted to include it.
Here are a few last shots of the gorgeous back terrace. This was originally a water fountain but is now used for flowers. The cupola is so striking against the brilliant blue sky.
Another angle showing off the charming lights, stonework and flowers. It's hard to believe that this terrace was unused for 40 years and piled under dirt and debris! We are so fortunate that it was lovingly restored.

26 comments:

  1. That is such an awesome library! Do you live in a large city? It makes me think that there must have been a lot of community support in order to create a library like that in any era.

    Oh, and I always wanted to live in a library when I was a kid. That would have been the dream locale back in the day. :)

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    1. I live in the same small town I grew up in. It's the largest in our county but we have less than 8,000 people now. We are very lucky that the family that started the library left an endowment fund that has been the main support, board members who keep it going, community support and a head librarian who has applied for and used grant money very wisely to restore portions of it. The rooms aren't really large but the high ceilings make them open and airy and it's bigger than any library in the area.

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  2. What a lovely library. And of course, all those chairs! You can't get more inviting to sit and browse a while than that :)

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    1. They really are cozy and not just for show. A nice place to read!

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  3. What a charming library! I especially like the local history room -- very impressive!

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    1. I didn't pay much attention to that room in the past, I just admired it. As I was taking photos I realized that there are parts of the library that I need to utilize more!

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  4. What a fabulous library! Ours is one of many branches in our county and, I swear, there's someone new working every time I go in.

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    1. I would hate that! I use my library so often that the librarians know me well. They are so helpful and know my tastes so they give me recommendations and give special service. :)

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  5. I think your library looks rather grand. I love the wooden floors, and the amazing light fittings.

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    1. I noticed the beautiful chandeliers but didn't pay attention to the details until I was taking photos. Then I really noticed how special they were!

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  6. I love libraries, and these shots show how much thought went into this one. I love those chandeliers, not to mention all the gorgeous decor in the various rooms. Thanks for sharing...and for visiting my blog.

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    1. After all these years I sometimes forget to admire the details of my library. After taking these photos and writing these posts I've found a new respect for them!

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  7. I am so jealous of you living in a town with such a fabulous library. It looks so enticing - I am sure it must encourage people of all ages to read.

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    1. It does encourage people to read but you would probably be surprised by how many people never use the library. It's probably like that everywhere, unfortunately.

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  8. Nice photos! It looks like a very welcoming library. Great children's section too!
    My (First) Saturday Snapshot

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  9. I'm loving you library pictures each week. They're all great, but it's worth it this week just for the chandelier picture. Wow!

    Thanks for stopping by!

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    1. All the light fixtures are beautiful and quite varied too. I can't believe how little attention I paid to them in the past. Now I can't stop looking at them!

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  10. This is one amazing library! Thanks for sharing.

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  11. Oh I'm so jealous, what an amazing library. Most of the rooms look like someone's house rather than a public building. How lucky you are to have such a library in a small town. Thanks for linking back to the other two posts, I hadn't seen those before, but went and had a look. How great to be able to hold functions there- inside and out. And that kids room looks so inviting.

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    1. I've never been to a wedding at the library but I'm sure it's a wonderful location. My kids have had their proms hosted there but they didn't really appreciate it. I'm sure I wouldn't have as a teenager either!

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  12. The hard work and creativity paid off♫ Beautiful♪

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  13. I love your library snapshots. It looks like a wonderful place to hole up and read.

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  14. I want to put in my application for the head librarian that lives there. How awesome would that be? I can see Gage having some fun there :)

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