Its A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

Nestled on the edge of Macomb Street in Cleveland Park, Northwest, The Public Library is a magical place that (although containing adult literature and periodicals) is crazy about children. A giant panda greets everyone at before entering. Its open on Sunday! They do not charge for overdue children's books! As I entered the library one afternoon I was stunned to see so many books that represented different cultures. It was not Hispanic Heritage nor Black History Month and the community is predominately Caucasian. My presumption was that the librarian who established the displays must be culturally aware. The children's section is located at the back of the library. Nestled behind the I Can Read Books are several bean bag chairs that children can lay against while browsing picture books. At the top of the display counters I see the following titles; Salt in His Shoes (a story about Micheal Jordan), Harry Potter, Cesar (Si,Se Puede), Langston Hughes (Poetry for young people), Ice Story; Shackelton's Lost Expedition, Ancient Egypt, I Live in Tokyo, and Molly Bannaky. The books are displayed neatly with labels clearly posted and the Dewey Decimal system is evident. The authorship is diverse. However, it would be easy to build an author study with each of the books that I select. For example, If I selected Walter Dean Myers, I could check out 'Blues Journey', 'Jazz', and 'Harlem'. If I selected Shel Silverstein, I could check out 'Falling Up', 'A Light in the Attic', and 'Where the Sidewalk Ends'. The authorship is diverse. 'I Live In Tokyo' was written by Mari Takabayashi. The story of Jean Baptiste du Sable was written by Robert H. Miller. The stories are equally diverse as the authors are to each other. Lower bookshelves make the stories of Roald Dahl are at an arms length for any child. The library has considered those that are handicapped as well. Aisles are wide and with a low bookshelf, children with disabilities may be active readers and independent. I did not find the displays of different cultures to be culturally stereotypical. The library overall is a very warm and inviting place to go. The librarians, Mary and Jackie, are also excited to help when children inquire about new books independently. What a beautiful day in the neighborhood.