Archive: Around Town

Last Monday Barbara Morse's Kindergarten class visited the Lansing Community Library Center. Susan Rosenkoetter (Miss Susan) and Lyle Wadell (Mr. Lyle) were there to greet them and treat them to what, for some, was their first experience at the library. "We've been doing it for a couple of years," says Ms. Rosenkoetter. All of the Elementary classes make it to the library at some point in the year. "Almost every student in the Lansing Elementary School should have a library card."

"Miss Susan" started with a tour, taking the class through the two big stacks rooms, showing them where things are. She explained that before it was a library it was a Lansing school, and then it became the Town Hall. "We've only been here four years," she told the class, " and we only started out with a couple of books. But look at all the books we have now! Do you know we have ten thousand books?"

Students were interested in the big vault in the wall, which she explained was used when the building contained the Town offices. "Your parents would have to pay their taxes and they would put the money and the records in there, so it would be safe," she told them. She told them it will be replaced by an elevator in the next phase of library construction, so that disabled people can get upstairs.

Next she led them into the reading area, where she engaged them in a conversation about how to treat books, why you should return them on time, and how not to lose your library card. Reading a book in the bath tub, the class agreed, is a bad idea.

She told them about the things that happen in the library, letting them tell her what they thought. The well behaved class was focussed on the discussion and anxious to participate. Miss Susan explained that the school and public libraries work together. She said they have a great library and librarian at school, but she notes "Cynthia Foley doesn't work 24 hours a day."

Next Miss Susan read some books to the class, after which they got to look at some books on their own. The highlight of the visit was getting their very own library cards from Mr. Lyle that they can use to take out books next time their parents bring them to the library.

"The schools and the library cooperate so well together," says Ms. Rosenkoetter. She and Mr. Wadell made a big stride in introducing the Lansing kids to a lifetime of reading.  The other Kindergarten classes will visit the library over the next couple of weeks.

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