Taking Stock

Those are funny words - taking stock. Sounds like something to do with soup, but I know it has to do with inventory time here at our library.
The library is closed to the public for five days this week, and it's much quieter today than it normally is. It's a good time to take stock.
That led me to sit in the quiet of this office and think about what the libary means to me. So, in a small way, I'm taking stock of my thoughts.
It didn't matter what town I moved to all my life as long as it had a library. And I've lived in a lot of towns. Most of them had a library.
One little town in Illinois had a Carnegie library, round dome and all. It was a small library, but I managed to find a way to get a job there. I dusted a lot of shelves and straightened a lot of books. And one time, when the cleaning lady was sick, I even cleaned the entire library, both floors full of stuff. I thoroughly enjoyed doing whatever I was given to do.
So, when I moved here, I looked for a job at this library.
I also made sure that no matter what town I moved to, my children knew that the best place in town was the library. And it's the same here. When they first came to see me, I took them to the library so they could see where I work and what a great place we have.
We have a fantastic children's library. It's a magical place that makes me want to be a kid again. The reading garden and the bright primary colors make kids feel right at home. And when the special programs are held, you can hear their laughter ripple down the
hallway.
Today I took the opportunity to sit on the cushy sofa in the reading area and look around. I feel proud we have such a comfortable and pleasant place for our patrons to enjoy, where they can read the daily newspapers and up-to-date magazines, look over a book before they check it out, or study at one of the tables. And I have to admit, once in a while, on a day off, I do just that.
I feel proud that we have twenty Dell computers where our patrons can search for a job, study for a test, research a specific topic or answer email, and where out-of-towners can bring their laptops and catch up on their lives while away from home or work.
I feel proud that we have one of the most highly regarded genealogical libraries in the United States, maybe even the whole wide world. That it's a place where people from all over the world visit to research their family trees and clan histories, where they can sit together as friends and family and learn more about Grandma Clara or Uncle Wilbur, where they can use the computers to pull up genealogical databases, and know that they are sitting in a "gem" of a library.
There's lots to be thankful for on this day of taking stock. To me, this is the best place in Moultrie to have a job. Not many people can say they get paid to do what they enjoy, but I can. And I have to admit, my coworkers are a swell bunch of people.
I'm sure there's lots more I could have covered, but there's only so much time and space. And our inventory time lasts only five days. But this was a start.