What do you picture when you hear, “librarian”? Maybe an elderly lady with small heels, cat-eyed glasses, and jeweled croakies? She sits behind a counter, watching and waiting for you to get too loud. That’s when she unleashes the “shhhhhhh”, dramatized with a scraggly finger against pursed, pink lips.
I’ll stop you there. This might be an appropriate description for a librarian in the 1960s, but times have changed. You will find male and female librarians behind desks with colored hair, nose piercings, and Harry Potter tattoos! Most importantly, the message heard at conferences and between professionals is: it’s okay to be loud!
Libraries are evolving with the times. Libraries are host to a number of different individuals, and everyone’s experiences vary when coming to the library. We have children who are learning to manage excitement and frustration. We have individuals whose sensory sensitivities can influence their reactions to environmental stimuli. As an institution, we do not want to intimidate or refuse service to community members because of these valued differences.
Yes, we do expect safe and considerate behaviors. However, we are a safe space for families to explore and learn, and we do not assume it will be quiet all the time. In order to learn, you have to make mistakes. It can get playful, there might be some excited screeches or frustrated exclamations... but that’s honestly why we love it at the library!
Learn more about other innovative library ideas: such as Family Place Libraries! This initiative calls for libraries to become safe, “fun and welcoming environments where children along with their caregivers can play, learn and grow together”.
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