Library Joy

Some thoughts on libraries plus a concrete poem about a little known library task

I’m not a librarian, but I play one at work. What I mean is that I don’t have a library science degree, but I’ve volunteered and worked in libraries, both school and public, for the last fourteen years. I have had the pleasure and privilege to work alongside and learn from a lot of really wonderful and patient professional librarians. They’ve taught me how to use a variety of circulation systems, how to shelve, cover and repair books, and how to assist patrons. I’ve done kindergarten story hours, and run afterschool origami paper airplane events. And, best of all, I’ve helped people find their next new favorite book. It’s kind of a dream job and I’ve learned all the important stuff from librarians.

I’m not on social media, unless you count Notes here on Substack, so I was a little late to hear about Mychal Threets, the California librarian who shares stories about what he calls “library joy,” those amazing moments people experience in libraries, frequently because of a fabulous librarian. As he says in this NYTimes article, librarians are “so happy you’re here.” I can confirm that. Librarians love their patrons. They want you come in and look around. They’d love to give you a library card. They hope you find a comfy place to sit and stay a while. And if you’re interested, they’d love to tell you all the cool things you can do here, maybe give you a tour. Above all, they want you to know that this is YOUR library, and you’re welcome here.

I love how much Mychal Threets is doing a lot to dispel myths about libraries and librarians. Late fees are rare these days, and you’re really not likely to be shushed. You can check out things like museum passes and telescopes, as well as books.

While most everything we do in the library is for the benefit of our patrons, there are plenty of tasks that are focused more on resources than people.  I love working with patrons, but I love the other stuff, too. As an introvert (like a lot of other library folks) thirty minutes off-desk shelving a cart of books, singing the alphabet song in my head, and tidying the stacks is a delightful interlude. The poem below is an ode to one of my favorite behind the scenes library tasks: shifting.

As you’ll see, the formatting is a bit tricky. It’s a concrete poem of a sort. Which is a weird term for a poetic form that relies on the shape the words make on the page for some of its meaning. I wasn’t sure I’d be able to share it here. But then I started reading

Kent Peterson

’s substack in which he posts a typed page each day. He gave me some tips on posting a legible image of a printed page, (Thanks, Kent!) so here we are.

If you haven’t visited your local library in while, maybe go today. They’ll be so happy to see you.

Tara Connor © 2024

Another Thing

Last week’s post, On Bad Days, was a poem about my mom and dementia. I forgot to mention in the post that the structure of the poem is based on a form called a pantoum. It’s a Malaysian form adapted by French poets and is comprised of quatrains. The second and fourth lines of the first stanza become the first and third lines of the next stanza, and so on, for as long as you care to go on. I found the form to be very fitting for the topic, with all the repetition and a circular structure. I mentioned in a note that I used multiple colored highlighter when I was first tackling the poem to keep myself on track with the repeated lines and themes. Here’s what it looked like at first:

Can you think of other topics and themes that would adapt well to the pantoum style?

Here’s a great one to read if you’re interested: Another Lullaby for Insomniacs, by A.E. Stallings .

Have I sparked your interest? If you decide to write one, let me know. I’d love to read it and hear about your experience of the writing process.

On Substack This Week:

• I came across

  Anthropocene Times
  this week. Such beautiful writing. I am so looking forward to working my way back through previous posts.

• Ivy-Rose Opal
  shared a poetry prompt that helped me get out of my own way and just write something yesterday. Have I mentioned before how fond I am of a good poetry prompt? Yes, yes I have.

Happy Reading, Everyone! Thanks so much for being here.