Bethanyology

I took the kids to the library today. I adore libraries for a variety of reasons–free books, the comforting book smell, predictable organization, to name a few. But since a few years ago when my oldest became a toddling library monster, enthusiastically pulling mountains of books off shelves or bee-lining for the elevator whenever I turned my back, I’ve been less eager to visit my public libraries. I still take the kids once in a while, but I have to give myself a pep talk on the way there. It’s just too much work, and I don’t even get to look at the books because by the time I’ve finished helping the little ones choose books for themselves, either they or I or both of us are too worn out to visit the grown up books section of the library. And I end up leaving slightly disappointed and more than slightly harried as I lug bags of picture books and three ready-to-throw-a-tantrum children back to the car. Last time I managed an adventure like this, I told myself that I’d just have to take myself to the library alone for a change, or on a date with my husband.

That hasn’t happened yet (though you might use the library as a date idea for your blog, Natalie!), but today I had a far more successful trip than usual, despite relentless, pouring rain and forgetting the stroller.  This time I had Maggie hold a book basket and we headed straight for the non-fiction section before heading for the childrens’ aisles.  I held the baby on my hip and browsed “my” books for a full 15 minutes, while the older two found reference books on various animals like Fish Health.

After I grabbed a basket full of books I was interested in browsing, we sauntered over to the childrens’ wing where I weeded through my stash while Heidi crawled around and Maggie & Degen freely wandered walls of picture books, played with the bead roller coaster thing they have there, and generally had fun with the other kids their age worrying the adults in the room over whether someone was going to be offended by their louder-than-whispers voices.

So, here are my library visit tips for those with small children:

• Choosing to go to a library without an elevator is a major help, since I can allow wandering within sight without imagining baby body parts getting stuck in heavy elevator doors.  Let the kids explore the stacks.
• Bring the stroller to contain and carry the baby while freeing the hands from carrying book bags on the trip back to the car.
• Bring book bags (I forgot this time).
• If you’re like me, getting books for yourself first will significantly add to your sense of composure and calm.
• Park as close to the entrance as you can, or next to a sidewalk that leads to the entrance without crossing the street.  This really helps when you carry a baby (or push a stroller) and hold the hands of two more little people on your way to the front door.
• Do not go just prior to, and certainly not during, regular nap time or meal time or you’re headed for a library disaster.  I know.
• Give children a set number of books to check out.  Like, “You may choose three books to check out today.”
• Plan to read to your kids while at the library.  There’s nothing my kids like better than to sit at one of the little tables or on the mini-stage and have me read a book they just pulled from the shelf to them.  I suppose there’s a kind of romance to reading in the library that you just don’t get at home.

P.S.  As I finish this post, my son’s daily “quiet time” ran out and he brought me one of his newly checked out library books, asking me to help him in his benevolent quest to remove the library bar code sticker.  When I emphatically refused and insisted that he not make any more attempts to do it himself, he plaintively asked “But why, Mommy?”  Now how do I explain that we’re not supposed to put stickers in the books, but we’re also not supposed to take them off books?