The very heart of the library’s mission to is foster connection: “The Shorewood Public Library welcomes all people to learn, connect, and explore.” Truth be told, I feel pretty disconnected right now.

 

We’ve been closed to the public for weeks, and it’s been humbling, frustrating, and lonely to be unable to provide opportunities for connection for staff and patrons alike. Most of us thrive in environments where we connect with others, even if it’s simply sharing space, but not actively exchanging words.

 

I am starting to feel some hope. This unprecedented time has provided opportunities for our team to think creatively about how we can connect with you during the global pandemic. Librarians are using new technologies and strategies to deliver content that we hope gives a sense of belonging and familiarity. As a team, we’re utilizing phone and video conferencing platforms to collaborate and catch up with each other. And we’re using some of our regular communication tools to stay in touch and make sure you know we’re thinking of you, your family, and the greater community.

 

I feel confident we’ll get to a point in the near future where we’ll be with you more often. Stay safe.

Rachel Collins

rachel.collins@mcfls.org

Carolyn made no excuse not to complete training for the Milwaukee Half Marathon that would have occurred on Saturday, April 11th. "A few library coworkers pledged to my fundraising as well, so I made myself complete the training I began in November. I was sent race swag and my race number from event organizers, so I donned my gear and took to the North Shore streets, following the event’s guidelines for a virtual race." From the bike path north into Whitefish Bay to the North Point Lighthouse and back to her house, Carolyn ran 13.1 miles and uploaded her time to the event website. Way to go, Carolyn!

What memoirs does the library have on running? Carolyn will seek council from our reference team to get some inspiration for her next event! 

Over the last few weeks, my husband and I have become accidental stay-at-home parents. We had a great routine going until the COVID-19 pandemic changed things. We've had to carve out a new routine, and I am enjoying the flexibility to do things with my daughter I would not normally get to do. Some days I plan to work during nap time, and nap time never comes. Other days I am thrilled I can set aside work to take advantage of a sunny day outdoors with my daughter and dog.

During all the juggling of work and parenting, my husband and I constantly marvel at how we get to watch our baby grow up in a way we wouldn’t have if we were still working as normal. I can’t forget that the world has changed forever, but I can embrace the gift of abundant time with my infant daughter.

Emily and her daughter watch Ms. Heide’s Rhyme Time Tuesday .

If you were waiting on a hold list for an item when libraries closed, you may be wondering what will happen now that we are (partly) open again. We have "activated" quite a few outstanding hold requests using items on our shelves and items that were delivered to us over the past few weeks. Check your account on CountyCat, or in the app, to see if your hold has been filled. If it has, call us during our curbside hours to schedule your pick up - you can even request more items to pick up at the same time!

Other than these holds, holds utilizing materials from other libraries will not get filled until late May or early June. Thank you for your patience!

Here we are in the midst of baseball season, and yet there is no baseball.  At my desk, I have the Milwaukee Brewers’ past seasons magnetic schedules marked with red stickers to track all the games that I’ve attended. I usually go to over 20 games a year, including a road trip to check out another MLB park. This year, I thought I should cut back a little, but I didn’t think I would cut back to zero. 

 

To fill the void, I recently finished  Bud Selig’s   For the Good of the Game: The Inside Story of the Surprising and Dramatic Transformation of Major League Baseball on audiobook.  Now, I’m considering reading  The Utility of Boredom: Baseball Essays  by  Andrew Forbes .  In one of his essays, Forbes argues that baseball gives us time – time to be bored, time to contemplate, time to reflect, and time to just be.  If so, what does the pandemic give us?  Honestly, I kind of enjoy living without the construct of time…

 

Hayley Johnson, Community and Adult Services Librarian

While I’m stuck inside, I’ve dusted off the knitting needles I inherited from my grandmother, opened up my old yarn box, and started a new project. Once or twice a year, usually in the early winter months, I make a beanie or a Harry Potter house scarf for a friend, but I’m still very much a beginning knitter. This is the first true pattern I’ve designed for myself, and you can see from the way it pulls at the edges of the intarsia that I’m mixing yarns that maybe shouldn’t be mixed. Part of me thinks this sweater will be a weird misshapen lump, not something I ever wear out of the house. That said, there’s comfort in just doing something. Anything. Moving your hands while you’re stuck inside and can’t move your body.

If you’re interested in the hobby, Kate highly recommends Stitch and Bitch: The Knitter's Handbook (available online also) to get started.

When we started sheltering in place, I had the best intentions. I was going to read ALL the books! Catch up on work I've been putting on the back burner for too long, stay on top of the news, start a bunch of new projects, write letters to friends, and complete all of those unfinished projects I have at home.

Turns out sitting still and focusing is hard in the middle of a global crisis. The headlines make me feel sad, disheartened, and a bit overwhelmed. So instead of trying to be a super being, I decided to pursue things that ground me like gardening, biking and needlework; things that make me feel connected like playing virtual RPGs/trivia with friends and assembling puzzles with my partner; and things that spark my curiosity while keeping me busy like podcasting. 

Like many folks, I miss my daily routine, and I miss our library community. I hope everyone is relatively well and look forward to the day we all get to see each other again!   

 

Lisa Quintero, Young Adult Librarian

I hope everyone is staying safe and healthy. I've been enjoying spending time taking walks with my family, catching up on some favorite TV shows, reading, and re-learning how to cook. (Our Instant Pot has been in the box for well over a year!) I have not enjoyed cleaning out our basement and garage. FaceTime with my children and four beautiful grandchildren is the highlight of each week. I miss my Shorewood Public Library coworkers and our wonderful patrons. Take care, everyone, until I see you again!

The book Nancy is holding is Everything Happens for a Reason: And Other Lies I've Loved by Kate Bowler . Check it out today!