Next to the children’s reference desk we have our Family Place. The Family Place is an area of the library where we have toys and space for children and families to play, interact, and develop relationships.
While I am at the reference desk, I always hear interactions between children, parents, and families who come through to play. The comments and conversations I hear are always enlightening, joyful, and memorable. Here is one such example:
The other day, a mother and her little boy were playing blocks. The young boy was probably 4 to 5-years-old and had a remarkable imagination. He was sharing a story with his mother about the world he was building and insisted she capture a photo to show his dad later.
Once it was time to go, his mom told him he should pick up the blocks and put them away. He didn’t argue, but instead said, “Can I stay here forever?”
Of course, these types of comments come more often than you might think. I could not help but laugh out loud, and his mother and I exchanged looks and smiled. The little boy was oblivious to his innocent comment, but it made it all the more precious.
Many times, the youngest of children think we librarians do live at the library, amongst the books. I could see how magical that would be to them. Librarians: the book fairies that guard all of the mystical and wonderful stories they love.
Maybe the stories come to life at night, and the librarians laugh with all of the most famous characters: Harry Potter, Pete the Cat, the Cat in the Hat, Percy Jackson, Junie B. Jones, Flat Stanley, Fly Guy, and Fancy Nancy.
What a wonderful dream that would be?
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