Saturdays at the Silver Spring Library are really something. This past Saturday, I was struck by how much the library offers and how very much it has become a place of culture and community since our new building opened about two and a half years ago.
First, as I helped out, I had the great pleasure of watching the world-renowned mime, Mark Jaster, perform for a room of about 95 people --adults and children. You might think a mime performance would be cliché and boring and too old school to be relevant or fun. Not so. Besides being so very talented, Mr. Jaster engaged and entertained us by captivating the audience, communicating with us so well, and providing pleasure and surprise. We chuckled and laughed throughout. Quite a few people had come to the library just to see him. For others this was serendipity and delight while out doing errands. Thanks go to the Friends of the Library, Silver Spring Chapter for providing this special program.
Then, come early afternoon, the library was truly graced by the music of the Heritage Signature Chorale. The program, in celebration of Black History Month, was brought to the library by the Road to Carnegie Hall Winter 2017-2018 programs, Carolyn Scipio Glover Recital Series. The music was energizing, soulful, celebratory, and just plain beautiful. The Chorale sang from the raised platform in the library's 3rd floor open area. Music filled the 3rd floor and drifted up to the 4th and 5th, as well. People stopped to take it in. The singing was transformative.
In the meantime, the 5th floor of the library was overflowing with children and their grownups reading, using computers, playing in our Early Literacy Center (especially around our "school bus") and checking out scads of books! The 5th floor program room was filled with children and their parents inventing and building with Legos. A Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE) representative was meeting with local business people and potential business people over the course of the afternoon to offer free business advice.
Of course, people filled our small study rooms. Some were studying while others were holding small collaborations for civic, personal, and business reasons. We have about 40 public computers. All were in use, of course, and were used all day. People came and went, checking out and returning books, DVDs, audio books, magazines, and more. Others came by to use copy machines or work on their laptops.
A bit later in the afternoon came our monthly Amharic-English Bilingual Storytime. People from the local Ethiopian community gathered to read children's stories, sing children's songs, dance and teach the children about internet safety. It was great fun. As that was ending, a program for adults began, Microsoft Office Specialist Word 2016 Certification Training.
Whew! I was just amazed at what was happening on that one Saturday at the Silver Spring Library. There is so much going on here. I think this is what a public library was truly meant to be, a place of real service and education as well as a meaningful part of the community. So come in to the Silver Spring Library on a Saturday, but remember that there's plenty happening here the other six days of the week, too. Check out our Calendar of Events, find something to interest you, and come on in to see us!
Labels: programs and events, Silver Spring, storytime
