The building of a library

Last week, I had the privilege of watching the building of a library. Literally. The empty room we had was first loaded with book trucks and tables- giving us this view:

Every detail of this place was thought out ahead of time. The designer had in mind library flow, functionality for children, and the size of the collection which would be delivered later. He was mindful in creating spaces for whole class instruction, small group work, individual work, and leisure reading~ then placed the book trucks as dividers. Watching him work was like watching a conductor fine-tuning the orchestra before the performance~ always having the end in mind. A symphony that both musicians and listeners would enjoy. And so this space will be- one for all users, and all users the musicians.

And then this happened:

 

9 pallets of boxes. Minimum of 30 boxes per pallet. Each one placed near the area they would be unpacked. The next day: unpacking and placing them on the shelves. 

On Thursday last week, it began. 7:30 am and the project manager was surveying and studying the notes left from the designer. Her team began to arrive. Yes, team. About 10 pairs of hands unpacked all of this! First, the dismantling of the pallets (1 hour). Then, the unpacking of the boxes.Yes, the boxes each had a number, and all the contents had the books totally shelf-ready, and in order.

By the end of the day, we had this:

Crazy, right? It's real now. The books are here- waiting to be read. The shelves aren't bare. Next for me to do? Verify that the contents of the shelves match the packing list they sent, make sure that the books on the shelves are divided so that authors/topics are together, create displays and promotions, and mostly: get to know the collection so I can help my users know OUR collection. 

I'm excited to continue the prep this week for our new year. Students come in 8 days, and I can't wait to meet them~ and help them find the love of reading.