Prairie Library

By Margaret Hicks in Arts & Entertainment on Jul 14, 2006 3:37PM

When we heard the new Bucktown/Wicker Park library was opening, we knew we had to go see it for ourselves. We don’t know what we were expecting - some kind of church-like haven for the Borders' battered and beaten down. What we found was a lovely, tiny, friendly library that looks just like every library we’ve ever seen.

Our first thought when we rode up on our bike was, where’s the bike rack? Alas! There it is! We think it’s pretty cute. The building itself is red brick, unassuming, no Harold Washington Post-Modernism here.

When we walked inside, we were hit with the familiar odor of libraries all across the land. The smell of paper, of books, of children, all mingled together to give us the faint recollection of Jr. High and Stacey Feely flirting with Mr. Langdon in English class.

The library was busy already, mostly everyone using the computers. There's a healthy children’s section, well-stocked fiction and non-fiction sections, audio books and DVDs. There were a couple of remote reading spaces with comfy chairs and big windows, and that was it! We were surprised at its size; it really is a little place, but it’s charming and new, with friendly librarians and lots of resources at our fingertips.

So, in honor of our new library, let's remember this little ditty from our favorite musical instrument salesman, Professor Harold Hill:

It's a long lost cause I can never win
For the civilized world accepts as unforgivable sin.
Any talking out loud with any librarian,
Such as Marian, Madam Librarian.