We're back online!

So, we were down for over a month due to a technical issue with Wix and validation but everything is back online now. A lot of stuff happened in the interrim, including the addition of a pantry and the launching of the TikTok. I hope you guys can keep up, haha!

Today, I got some books out for Indigenous Peoples' Day and a few seasonal (fall/Halloween) books out.

I had a really cool interaction today. I was out filming a TikTok when someone stopped by. She's a regular visitor but I've never really gotten the chance to talk to her before. She's a young lady, 18, just started living on her own. Her mom often brings her by and her mom told me that my library is like her new favorite place in town.

This young lady reminded me a lot of me at that age. I don't want to assume anything, but she definitely reminded me of how I was sort of having a bit of trouble navigating things due to neurodivergence and finding trouble fitting in. I was happy to let her go through my back stock and she had the time of her life, like a kid in a candy store. It was great to see. It reminded me how valuable what we do as LFL stewards is. She told me some of the things she is going through, and how she finds representation at my library in a community that is often exclusionary. (This is me paraphrasing a bit.)

She took a LOT of stuff from my back stock, though honestly looking around afterwards it really hasn't made that much of a dent and I was telling myself at the time, "You're giving this stuff away for free anyway, so it doesn't matter." I think it gave me a lot of new perspectives all at once. I don't think this young lady has a lot of social awareness, likely due to neurodivergence, but she was so happy the whole time. And I've given her a place she feels welcome, which is something I desperately lacked at that age. I grew up in the same community, but now that I'm literally twice her age, I've been able to make it safer for the people that followed after me.

If that means I give away more fidgets and books at one time than anticipated, so be it.

I understand not everyone is privileged like I am to be able to fill their library up again after a clear out, which are a situation many LFL stewards experience and complain about. But I also think a lot of the time clear outs may be misunderstandings more than malice.

Please enjoy these pics of the library and the pantry!