The Hangout Podcast - Episode 12 - Randi Monley

🎙️ Episode Twelve is live. She Turned the Library Into a Forest, and Kids Have Never Been the Same.

Randi Monley walked into the Minot Public Library’s children’s section years ago and saw something most people would have just accepted. She saw a space that needed to come alive. What followed was a years-long dream that became a full forest-themed remodel, complete with a stage, reading nooks, a slide, and a grand reopening in January 2024 that drew families from across the city.

Christine Staley & Corey Long sat down with Randi and what came out of that conversation matters.

When someone decides that kids in Minot deserve a space that sparks their imagination, and then actually builds it, that is exactly the kind of story this podcast exists to tell.

Find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, YouTube, and everywhere you listen. Link in bio.

Made possible by a Shop Small business grant from Main Street America and American Express.

#MagicDistrictPodcast #MinotND #DowntownMinot #StoriesBuildBridges #MinotPublicLibrary #Literacy #KidsMinot #NorthDakotaStories #MainStreetAmerica #ShopSmall #AmericanExpress #Podcast

https://www.facebook.com/TheMagicDistrict/ 

Transcript

unknown 0:01

Am I in the I see?

SPEAKER_00 0:03

Like they know it's just what you dream is the way that you make those things reality. You see, that's a magic of me. I think no way just what you dream is the way that you make those things reality. You see, that's the magic of me.

SPEAKER_03 0:22

Hey My Not, welcome to Magic District Hangout Podcast. It's Christine Staley again and Corey Long. Yes, thanks for coming and watching this episode. So this one is really kind of special and near and dear to my heart. We have someone here that has been with the Minot Public Library, I think almost six years, if I'm not mistaken.

SPEAKER_04 0:43

As the librarian, I've actually been there about 13 years.

SPEAKER_03 0:46

13 years, okay, as the librarian. Sorry, pardon me. But I just want to tell you something. Um, this is important because we're gonna talk about a lot of things, not just like for families and kids, but things that like adults that don't even know that there's things available on top of it, and why this is the biggest asset in our community that I know I've used that helped my business.

SPEAKER_01 1:04

So yeah, but my family has used it.

SPEAKER_03 1:07

But I mean, it was like my office, guys. Like before I even started my shop, this was where I went, and this is how I met people that helped me even build my business better. So I just want to tell you that I'm so excited today. Her name's Ranny Maloney Monley. Sorry, I'm back. And she is now the children's librarian. Yes, the children's librarian. Okay. My kids love that library. I know. We literally call you guys like it's my kid there. Tell them to come out or picking them up. That's a good thing. It's oh no, if we didn't have it, I don't think my kids would be reading as well as they do. Sure. And also, that's their fallback. Because like they'll play video games now and they'll hang with their friends, they'll do whatever, but they always have a book.

SPEAKER_01 1:47

I think there's a science to that. Made all mine. Nicholas um loves libraries. We used to bring them in all the time to to mine in public, and uh, you know, and and I think that's why he excels where he's at night now in school.

SPEAKER_03 1:58

That's fantastic. Oh my gosh. Well, welcome. I'm sorry I butchered your name. Okay, so don't worry, people call me Stanley, and it's Staley and like, oh, take a stale bread. Oh, it's not hard to remember. I I deal with bread. Okay. But yes, thank you for coming. And it's this is so exciting. So tell us a little bit about okay, so you said 13 years, you've been here.

SPEAKER_04 2:14

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 2:14

How did you end up starting in the library? Like, what got you excited? And then how did you merge into this role?

SPEAKER_04 2:19

Um, so I was a stay-at-home mom. My kid was a year old. I wanted to be around people.

SPEAKER_03 2:25

Yeah. Um, and I I know that story very well.

unknown 2:27

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 2:28

Um, I met the teen librarian, Pam Carswell, and she was like, Randy, come work at the library with me. I worked there part-time in the adult library until I had my second kid, and then I went full-time down in children's.

SPEAKER_03 2:41

Oh my gosh, that's fantastic. So, like when you were like now a working mother with two kids, how hard was it for you to like contribute so much time to that and then be with the kids? Did you get to bring the kids sometimes?

SPEAKER_04 2:53

Um, I didn't bring the kids. Now they're there all the time. Um, they're just they just show up. They think they own the place, they come into my office and I know. Yeah. I get you there.

SPEAKER_03 3:03

I know. Yeah. Oh, that's fantastic. So, what is it that like how did you transition in? Like, what was your first experience working for the first year? Did you un did you get like what you were doing? Did you understand the val like the value and the role towards a community?

SPEAKER_04 3:17

I mean, really, when you start working at a library, you see how you are impacting so many different kinds of people throughout the city. Um, and you find this love for it. And I've I've kind of grown into this person that I always wanted for myself as a kid, someone to just be there and stand up for you and be like, you belong here.

SPEAKER_03 3:41

I think that's I love that. Who have the concept. Kind of like fulfilled your manifest destiny in a way. Yeah. That's awesome. Sure.

SPEAKER_04 3:47

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 3:47

That's that's no, that's really cool because some people don't find that kind of love in what they do. Right.

SPEAKER_04 3:52

And it's a double-edged sword too, right? I'm never really off the clock. I'm always thinking about things and people are asking about questions about it.

SPEAKER_01 4:01

So even, I mean, you you also been like the the arts community. I heard what you've you've held, I hate saying it like this, but you held some titles. Yes. What what what titles have you held?

SPEAKER_04 4:12

Um, I've been the president, vice president, and secretary for um the Mayanot uh Council of the Arts.

SPEAKER_05 4:20

Sure.

SPEAKER_04 4:20

Um right now I'm secretary for the MyNot Optimus Club. Um I'm the North Dakota rep for the Mountain Plains Library Association. Oh my god.

SPEAKER_01 4:30

So what does that encompass Mountain Plains Library Association?

SPEAKER_04 4:32

Like what how many It's a 12-state region.

SPEAKER_01 4:35

Oh my god.

SPEAKER_04 4:36

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 4:36

Um that's impressive. And you are what with that?

SPEAKER_04 4:38

I'm the North Dakota representative. So each state has their own representative.

SPEAKER_01 4:42

So you beat out Fargo, you beat out Williston, you beat out Grand Forks. I mean, I hate to say like that. But is it but that's like super cool. It is super cool.

SPEAKER_04 4:51

It is cool, yeah. And it's been really fun. And I've met a lot of um librarians who are from, you know, very rural places because that's what the states kind of have in common. Yeah. And it's so cool to learn different things from you know, about libraries from other people. Right.

SPEAKER_01 5:07

And that's what's cool about an organization like that is that you get like they're doing this. Well, we should maybe try that. And you can collab together like that. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 5:14

Now, are you originally from Minot? I am, yep. Oh my gosh. So this is so cool as you're like doing so much good work in your own community. Right. And to actually get to that level to see like it permeate outside of the community too now. Yeah. I mean, 12, 12 states. Yeah. So what do you guys like? What do you notice as trends like for like libraries? Is any are they dying? Because everyone keeps saying they're dying. I don't believe that. No, they're not dying.

SPEAKER_04 5:36

In fact, um, we're finding that people prefer physical books again, uh, which is great.

SPEAKER_01 5:41

So it's cycled back.

SPEAKER_04 5:42

It has cycled. So happy to hear that. No, I'm serious. It's the younger generation that's cycling it back too, um, which is great. We're also seeing um a love of manga comic books.

SPEAKER_03 5:53

Oh my gosh, don't don't even get there. I am my daughter, don't, don't even I have no idea.

SPEAKER_04 5:57

Manga.

SPEAKER_03 5:58

You're reading backward, man. Manja. I I think a manja, I don't know.

SPEAKER_04 6:03

Uh a lot of uh clubs, and um, you know, the library is just a third space. I really love that.

SPEAKER_01 6:09

I believe I I I looked on the website here um, you know, um a little while ago and it was like like something like 400 different organizations that's that's around this area. Yes, that you can find. If if there's something you can't find there, I I mean you've got to be No, there's a couple tabs.

SPEAKER_03 6:25

That's what I was gonna say that I was so excited to talk to you because your website, yes, um, who is basically taking care of it, is I know I looked at it and I thought through and I go, oh my gosh, look at all these organizations. So if you're a new transplant here, anybody here, um, this is for also the listeners, no, go to the my notpublilibrary.org website because there are things there that you don't even know that are like available.

SPEAKER_02 6:49

Right.

SPEAKER_03 6:49

I mean community connections, like everything to just like if if you have someone you want to talk to about an issue, there's groups on that that you can locate their information. Right. Which I'm the only reason I'm saying this is because when I moved here, I did not know that that website held all that information.

SPEAKER_04 7:05

Right. And I don't know that it did when you first moved here. Um interesting. We had a website update probably around COVID-ish terms, like 2020-ish. Um, and and it the website just exploded. So that used to be something that we would publish every year, our clubs and organizations list. Um, but now it's it's all online, so it's great.

SPEAKER_01 7:27

So what you mean by publish is old school paper? Yep. Yep, you'd have a paper, you'd come there, you'd show up, you can grab maybe a pamphlet, but now you can go right to the website and pull it up.

SPEAKER_03 7:35

So people who are relocating here, they have an actual like asset now that they could use and say, okay, I have access to that now, I know where to go for that. And then you guys are so helpful. Right. Like the whole team in the library. I don't care if you go to the kids or you know, the top floor for the circulation desk and everything. I mean, it's insanity how tight these guys are. Right. And they know everything.

SPEAKER_04 7:54

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 7:54

And and they are so well versed in everything. Like, I'm not tech savvy.

SPEAKER_04 7:57

Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_03 7:58

So, like if I told you about like I was running this as my office because I've very walking, I can print, I can copy, I could scan.

SPEAKER_01 8:04

Yep.

SPEAKER_03 8:04

And man, oh, I forgot to how to use that XL. Can you help me? They actually help me.

SPEAKER_01 8:09

You just help put the pollinators, downtown minor here. Oh, yeah. And what did you check out from the library?

SPEAKER_03 8:14

Oh, yeah. Oh, that now this this is impressive, everyone. If you're listening to this too, okay. I, my husband is a little bit of a green thumb. However, we don't have many tools. But when we got the grant for the downtown DPPA for the pollinators, um, and then also worked with the pollinator project, they were putting deflowers down for the parks, but we needed to plant these. So we I reached out and I looked at their tool chests, which by the way, they're tool chests. If you guys need tools, I mean even air compressors, right? Drills, yeah, ramps.

SPEAKER_01 8:42

You can rent it, you can't.

SPEAKER_03 8:43

Yes, rent. Well, you borrow. You just borrow you use your library card. Yeah, right. Not rent it, but borrow. Yeah, borrow. Yeah. And for free. And we're our tax dollars, I guess, pay for this, right? In some respect. Yeah. Indirectly. And then there's grants that you guys get. But I'm just saying we that's why we don't have to pay for this. Right. Is what I'm getting at. We're not going to home, we're not going to home deepo, right? Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 9:00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 9:00

So that you have to pay for. I know because I did that years ago. That's a nightmare.

SPEAKER_04 9:04

And with some of the tools, like the larger tools, there might be like a cleaning fee if it comes back super dirty. But other than that, but I mean, look at that.

SPEAKER_03 9:11

That that goes also to like iPads and things like that you can take out, borrow. This is all at the mineup public library. And they were so helpful. Like I went to the garage, I picked it up, I used it, and I didn't even use all the tools. I overestimated what I needed. But it was a very, very smooth, easy transition to get it and drop it off. And I'm telling you, it's amazing what they have. Right. It's it's it's like a resource, guys.

SPEAKER_04 9:32

Oh, yeah. I got a ladder the other day. I live in an apartment. I don't know not gonna buy a ladder. Why would you have why? Right? So go take the ladder of my car, do what I need to do, and bring it back. It's super simple.

SPEAKER_03 9:43

I I I mean, what it really comes down to is that if you guys have projects you do once a year, plan on going to the library and don't just go check out stuff. Like go there and check out books, look at their stuff. And one of the things, this is what I want to tell you. True. This is huge. I am a I'm not a movie buff, but I love movies. And I'm telling you, I grew up going to video stores and I missed video magic. Sorry guys, I have to do a shout-out. I miss it.

SPEAKER_01 10:08

I'm a huge video.

SPEAKER_03 10:10

I have some items from Video Magic I bought before they close that I still think about it. But when I tell you, you go through their stacks of series, television series, old shows. I mean, all the way from like old school Batman to Colombo to Matlock. Don't even kill me, but I love Matlock people. But you guys have everything. We have new stuff, old stuff, music, everything.

SPEAKER_04 10:30

Well, and we also have Roku sticks now. So they have streaming services on them. You can check them out and plug them into your TV stream.

SPEAKER_03 10:38

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And some people don't even have like any access to like cable. They don't have that hookup in their house. It might be too old and they don't want to spend the money. Yeah. They can come out and check somebody out to watch the modern stuff. Yeah. That's awesome. That's fantastic. So that right there alone, I could tell you, just think of like what that does. That helps families get together and spend time. They have game boards, they have things you can check out. They also have classes. Let's talk about some of the cool things you do for the kids' library. Like Lego Club. And then you have like the 3D builder or it was 3D printer.

SPEAKER_04 11:10

Oh, yep.

SPEAKER_03 11:11

Please tell me everything you guys have.

SPEAKER_04 11:13

So uh children's, we have a lot of clubs. Um, we're learning about like how to win and lose gracefully. Um so we've got uh Pokemon Club coming back in the fall, um, Lego Club, Beyblade Club, which was a kid's idea. He proposed it to me, and we were like, let's do it. Oh, that's awesome.

SPEAKER_01 11:33

Somebody brought that to you and like kids awesome. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 11:36

Hey, you guys are being hurt. Exactly. And um they work on brackets and stuff like that. Oh, nice. I um for yeah, teens, there's tons of crafts and 3D builds. Um, we just had an escape room last week.

SPEAKER_01 11:49

What? Yeah. You guys created your own escape room.

SPEAKER_04 11:52

Our teen librarian creates uh two or three escape rooms every year.

SPEAKER_01 11:56

Really?

SPEAKER_03 11:56

Yeah. So is this a newsletter people would have to be attached to to learn when these come around, or do they just have to go to your site?

SPEAKER_04 12:03

Um, I would just go to the site, honestly. We also publish a monthly calendar that's um at all of our circulation desks.

SPEAKER_03 12:09

Okay, yes, I've taken it before.

SPEAKER_04 12:10

That helps a lot. Yes. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 12:12

Oh my gosh.

SPEAKER_04 12:13

Uh um, there's uh Dungeons and Dragons Club for 16 and older. And there's um Mondays are for murder, where they do murder mystery parties once a month. What?

SPEAKER_03 12:24

Okay, so when I moved here, can I tell you something? You know, I do theater. Yep. I did a murder mystery dinner theater at the Sevens, like like the area in the um conference area. That's how I met a lot of my theater folks. And Christine Cherry, who you know, I I did theater with her. So that's yeah. So it's interesting how the community connects in different levels. But that murder mystery dinner was really interesting because it was immersive. So is that like an immersive, like really their credit their character when they come in and they just go for broken? Oh my gosh. Oh my gosh, that's fantastic. I love that. One thing I can tell you during, like, at least I know that you guys do this. There's different things you've been doing where I know my little guy will go in. He wants to go get some books, or he wants to go, I don't know, get a DVD or a couple, because he loves his DVDs. And then he's like, Oh, what's this? You want to do the um you get the paper and you start doing like scavenger hunts? Yeah. Or scavenger. Oh my gosh.

SPEAKER_02 13:21

Right.

SPEAKER_03 13:23

It's like, oh, we only have like five minutes to grab something, honey. No, no, he I'm sitting there for 25 minutes. Oh, yeah. He loves it though.

SPEAKER_04 13:28

Yeah, I found that all the kids really do. We have one once a month. Sometimes um, they're geared toward younger kids where we're looking for different pictures. Um, sometimes it's a Pokemon one and we have to figure out how much they weigh and their number and their height, yeah, um, what type they are. And they love the Pokemon ones because I give them Pokemon cards. Yes, like he's gotten a few.

SPEAKER_03 13:49

I I know, I know. No, it's a it's an amazing. And then tell us about like the you guys redid the kids' library. Like, what tell us about that? There was a remodel going on at one point.

SPEAKER_04 13:59

Yeah, but that two years ago, um, we were able to. Well, I got a lot of grants and donations, about $100,000 worth. Um that's awesome.

SPEAKER_01 14:09

That's the new hunted on, right? Yeah, yes, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 14:11

Yep. Yeah. You know what? We we got a grant for this podcast. So let me tell you, it's often you win and you can use it for good stuff. Yep. So congrats to that. Kudos. That's thing. That's that's quite a beat.

SPEAKER_01 14:21

You saved the the city a hundred grand.

SPEAKER_04 14:23

Uh yeah. Um, so we ended up paying half um just with all that. They paid the other half. It was great. We now have a play area, which was something I really wanted, especially when my kids were younger, was like a dedicated indoor play space.

SPEAKER_03 14:38

I know, and it's nice because it's closed off too, so it's isolated. So if you hear kids screaming, you won't hear them if you don't pay in. Exactly. Yes. Exactly. Yes.

SPEAKER_04 14:45

Um, but we were also able to just kind of theme the library, make the fun little places for kids to sit and read. We have a stage area now, and kids all start doing their own little plays. That's fantastic. It's really fun. That's cool.

SPEAKER_03 14:58

Yeah, it's totally morphed into like it, and it's not like it takes away from how the library used to look, like the kids area. It's just kind of evolved. Sure. And it is a little bit more magical, I guess I would say. For sure. Yeah. Their imagination at that age. A little bit more inclusive, like if you will. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. So the theme is like kind of forests and animals, I think.

SPEAKER_04 15:15

Yeah, foresty. Um, yeah, and uh the Friends of the Library, which is a non-profit group, they were able to donate towards us so we could have Max Patzner do some articles in there.

SPEAKER_02 15:27

Yeah, that's cool.

SPEAKER_04 15:28

And I uh we have like this, I call it our structural element. It's a tree that they morphed out of wood. Um, but it's actually really quite cool. Yeah, as an arts lover myself, I think it's really important that kids have art around them all this time.

SPEAKER_03 15:43

Yeah, right. Um yeah. I mean, it's basically like it looks like a pillar, but it would be like really more now it's a tree. And it goes into the ceiling, it's the coolest thing. You need to go check it out, Corey, if you haven't seen it. And I I I just I have to say, um, one thing my kid loves is Lego clubs. Every time I come in, he's like, let me go find the Lego I built. He's walking around and he wants to make sure it's there. And so that is kind of the fun thing is that they start feeling like it's part of them now.

SPEAKER_04 16:07

They do.

SPEAKER_03 16:08

And that's the one thing I think you guys do very well for this community.

SPEAKER_04 16:11

Well, and that's one thing I I tell every person that I hire right away is like, so here we see kids for who they are and where they are. If nothing else, just I love that message.

SPEAKER_01 16:23

That is that I like that a lot because you're accepting to anybody and whatever uh, you know, whoever and whatever they are.

SPEAKER_04 16:29

I mean right. And like whatever stage of life they're in, you know, it changes so often.

SPEAKER_03 16:34

So yeah. Now, let me ask you a question. I wonder this because I know when I was a kid, I grew up in a different state. We would take field trips when I was in school to different places, like different loc locations of things. Did you guys ever or does the school system ever take the kids like at certain ages to the library to do like a you know, like a field trip and talk about how to use the library that is there, anything like that? I always wondered. Okay, they didn't when I was a kid. Okay.

SPEAKER_04 17:02

However, I've worked very um hard with the school district to make sure that we're working with each other. Okay. Um, CLC, which is the after-school care, they used to bus the kids to the library. Um, it was like one group per day, um, two days a week. Okay. But then um it was just too much with busing. It was so busting. Okay. Now I go to a different CLC every week. Um, in summer too, I go, I read to the kids. Um, and this last two years now, um, the teachers are like, we need to go to the library. Yeah. I worked with the principal at Parkett. Yes. And the last year, all like the second, third, fourth, and fifth graders all walked to the library. We did um tours, we talked about everything with cards. Yeah. My little guy is gonna be in second grade at Perkett.

SPEAKER_03 17:54

I hope you do it again. He'll be thrilled.

SPEAKER_04 17:56

The okay, so that was the first year we did it. Last year it was only fourth and fifth graders. Oh, okay. I think they had trouble with the little guys um because it is kind of a it's a walk. It's a walk. But then also this last year I had um I had a teacher from Longfellow reach out. All the fifth graders from Longfellow came. Um, we have Head Start groups that are coming, even though I go to Head Start Hard Head Start twice a month anyway. Yeah. Um, so it's really great to see um more involvement in in those specific groups and trying to get kids reading, get cards, get free resources. That's all.

SPEAKER_03 18:31

I I think the only reason I say that is because if a kid ever relocates to another town, which I've seen some kids through my business here that come in from central and they don't know what's going on. And I've asked him things. They don't know where places are. But I had a kid recently who's moving, literally the day after he just graduated from school for that class a year, and he was really upset. And I said, He's like, I can't make I I don't have I don't I can't say anything. Like it's my family, they're moving, and I'm sad. And I said, Look, I said, when you go to this new town, I said a couple things you need to know. Know where the library is, so you spend some time there, and at least know how to find a police station if anything ever happens to you. I always tell kids this type of stuff because I always feel like you don't know. Right. You don't know, you you want to feel safe and you want to feel like you're you, you know, you can connect to someone that understands. So I I always just I just feel like it's a disservice I feel always if kids don't understand a library. And you seem like you're doing your best to like get it out there. For sure. What would you need from us as a community to know? Is there anything like we can do as a community just to like write a letter maybe to the mayor or anybody else or anything that you we need?

SPEAKER_01 19:30

I mean, I'm not talking about funding resources, I'm talking about things that like would help benefit your what do you think, Randy, would would yeah step that library up a little bit more within the community?

SPEAKER_04 19:41

Oh my gosh, that's a question and a half.

SPEAKER_01 19:46

We just like to know, you know, if people want to share and help and we just or even heard you, you know, you do a lot and you've done a lot for this library already. You know, what more can can maybe, you know, the the community help out the library?

SPEAKER_04 19:58

You know, really, I think get a library card. Yeah, that helps us so much. Um, log your summer reading. I have so many parents who are like, we homeschool, we read all the time, we don't need to log it. And I'm like, I need those numbers.

SPEAKER_03 20:12

So what do those numbers do for you then? Explain why.

SPEAKER_04 20:14

Oh, so because we get some of our funding through the state library and we have to show that people are utilizing our resources, right? So if you get a library card, yay. If you do summer reading, we can log that number, right? Come to a program. Um, give us your ideas. I have another kid telling me about another club they wanted to do, or like kids DD.

SPEAKER_03 20:38

And I'm like, oh but but at the administrative level, you're talking about data points.

SPEAKER_01 20:41

They want to understand, like, if it's increasing in numbers, if it increases numbers, it means it's all increases basically on the back end, the bank end, if you will. Yeah, right. Exactly. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 20:50

And and tell, you know, visit to the mayor or ever anybody and tell them you had a great experience at the I, right?

SPEAKER_03 20:56

No, I listen, you're the library saved me because I don't think I would have known how to like run my business right away. I met I met the people who actually helped me design my logo, my first logo there. Okay, and then I also met someone who actually could print my logo. So when I tell you, it really kind of blows my mind. I would have never thought that's where I met them. You know, I mean, I didn't even know I needed them.

SPEAKER_04 21:17

I remember when you were coming doing all of that.

SPEAKER_03 21:19

I just yeah, that's how long it's been.

SPEAKER_01 21:21

Like, so the utilization of library for you was that.

SPEAKER_03 21:24

No, it was my office. When I say that, I'm not taking that lightly. Yeah, like I didn't have all the modern stuff. Like, I I got an iPad like in 2000, I don't know, 14.

unknown 21:33

Right.

SPEAKER_03 21:33

I mean, just to even know how to use that. Right. I was all laptop. My laptop was old at that time. So I went there and I'm like, your new one's old too. I mean, well, it's semi old. The well by technology standards today. You know, you're right. By technology standards today. But I'm serious. Um, it's just great. And then you guys have a lot of different groups that come in and visit too. I've noticed. I can come at different times a day. Organizations that come around. I mean, it's and my kid after school, my kid would leave junior high and Walk there and wait until my husband would come pick her up after work because she'd hang out and hang with her friends. It was a safe space and it was also a place she could do online. She could check her book out, and to walk right down to the stuff. Yeah. Yeah. And it's it's not a bad walk.

SPEAKER_04 22:12

No, and and there's quite a number of kids that do that. Um, it's it's really great because you get to, you know, kind of you get to know the kids, and it's nice. Um, and you know, my staff are always like, Where's your coat? You need a coat in the middle of one parent, you know, exactly. That's great. But I think the kids kind of like that.

SPEAKER_01 22:30

They it's a good safe place, a good community.

SPEAKER_03 22:34

Yeah. You know, I will tell you also, just recently I heard one of the guys we just had on our podcast, EJ Rose, his art was displayed there. So you guys display art too. Talk about that when we walk into the foyer.

SPEAKER_04 22:45

Yeah, the foyer display. Um, it changes every month. Um, it my son actually displayed his uh Gundam collection that he made there. Nice. Yeah, so uh whatever.

SPEAKER_03 22:59

Like how does that work? Like, say someone wanted to display some art and they weren't very extrovert, like say I am. How would they get in touch you to say, hey, maybe I'd like to showcase my art just to let people see it?

SPEAKER_04 23:11

Just call us, we'll get them to the right person that's in charge of that. Yeah, um, and it's it's all sorts of things, so it's not just fine art, right? Like so EJ, but also um we've had uh kids' classes, like art classes, and they bring all their pictures and put them up and kids' gundams. It's really cool. Yeah, it's nice.

SPEAKER_03 23:29

So it's almost like they get to connect to their community in a different way, right at a different level. So, okay, one last thing. I did mention that 3D printer. Tell me about this because I remember when I went to see this original printer, I was like, I don't understand what this is. Explain, explain this cool concept because I might want to use it now. Right. Like I'm I'm excited.

SPEAKER_04 23:46

So we have two now, I think. One is the older one, and then we have the newer one, Bambi. Um, they all have names, of course. It's Pam. Yeah, and um they are behind they're in the teen office because they have to be very stable or else the prints get off. Um, I don't know, it's pretty cool. You can go on like Thingiverse or different websites, you can find what you want to print. You can manipulate it in whatever way. Um, we have lots of different filaments now. So there are some that are like food grade and some that are not.

unknown 24:16

Oh my gosh.

SPEAKER_03 24:16

Um, I gotta go check this out. Yeah, this looks like fun.

SPEAKER_04 24:19

Not good at it. My my son, Holden, he's amazing at it. He like manipulates everything and he really.

SPEAKER_03 24:25

So it's a it's like a skill set you kind of learn. Yeah, I've read this before, yeah. Yeah, that's super cool.

SPEAKER_04 24:31

Yeah. Um do you guys have classes for that or anything? Um, yes, and there's going to be an adult class coming up soon because usually they're geared toward like teens and tweens. Yeah. Um, yeah, so that was maybe I should take that. And I went to a Magicon this year. Oh, and my um outfit, I was like, Pam, I just need you to print these for me because I can't make them. And she got them printed for me. And she printed a part of your outfit?

SPEAKER_03 24:56

Yeah, but it was like a belt piece and shoulder things. It was so cool. Oh my gosh. I have so many you guys don't even know. I have an idea. I have a cat. Do they use CAD files? Do you what a CAD file is? I don't. Okay. Engineers and stuff use it when they make things for like I have a CAD file that I created something years ago that I never actually had it physically made. I wonder if I can send it and buy it.

SPEAKER_04 25:16

I thought they were SVGs, but I could be wrong.

SPEAKER_03 25:18

Hey, if they can figure out and read it with AI somehow, man. I think they can. Oh my gosh. I might my invention might come to life now. Yes. It's called the Wafu Bowl. That's all I'm gonna say. Okay. That's all I'm gonna say. And if it comes to life, I will share it on this podcast, Bori. Okay. It's exciting. Yeah, yeah. And it's it's actually it it solves a problem. It solves a problem. And a lot of people got me thinking. I'm gonna keep you thinking until I need to know when that class is on because I'm not kidding. I need to go and figure this out. It's coming up soon. Because you know what? Then I can let it go. I could I could just abandon it and say it doesn't work, guys.

SPEAKER_01 25:49

It's been sticking with you this long, then.

SPEAKER_03 25:51

Uh yeah, it's been over 20 years. I created this. I have another invention I never did, but it won't do it on that because it's more of a rubbery type thing. But don't worry, guys. That's for another story. But that is awesome. That is gosh. Oh gosh. So tell us about really quick about the hours and operation because I do know summer sometimes gets lean. A lot of people do leave, they go to like lakes, they leave town. What are we expecting right now if people want to go attend the library? Has anything changed? Is there days closed, holidays, anything? No, it's more busy.

SPEAKER_04 26:23

It's more busy, really? Summer is crazy. It's summer reading time. Okay. Um, so in the children's library, we have like eight to 11 programs a week. Oh, see, I'm thinking it was opposite because it seems like it's like not a lot of traffic.

SPEAKER_01 26:36

I was thinking it was opposite too, but now if you think about it, kids are at home doing what? Nothing.

SPEAKER_03 26:40

That's right. And yes, and I understand that.

SPEAKER_01 26:42

Yeah, now I know that too.

SPEAKER_04 26:44

So we have more programs during the summer. Um, the summer reading program, we're asking kids to read 20 minutes at least 30 days. At 30 days, they get a free book while they're logging and all that stuff. Oh my gosh.

SPEAKER_03 26:56

They just pick up the forms from you guys then.

SPEAKER_04 26:58

Um, there's not even a form, it's an app.

SPEAKER_03 27:00

Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_04 27:01

So easy. So what's the app's name? Beanstack.

SPEAKER_03 27:04

Beanstack. Oh, you know what? My little guy downloaded on my husband's phone. I wonder if he's been tracking it now. Probably. Okay. Okay, I've heard of that. Okay. Yep. I keep my husband doing that because I'm preoccupied other stuff, but I do know he reads a lot. Yeah. He got a lot of books for his birthday.

SPEAKER_04 27:19

I went to all the schools at the end of the school year and uh told all the kids about it. It's crazy. You can get kids like screaming about reading during the summer. That's awesome. Yeah. That's awesome. So it's it's pretty busy. We don't have any different hours. Um, we're open Monday through Thursday from nine until eight. And then on for Friday and Saturday, it is 10 to 5.

SPEAKER_01 27:44

Why nine to eight Monday through Friday. Or Thursday. Thursday. Yeah. That's that's a long time. It is a long time. That's a long time. I mean, for the library, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 27:51

Yeah, but you know, some people need it during the day, some people need it at night.

SPEAKER_03 27:55

So one last question. Um, I know the buses have changed routes over the years here since we have the new hub downtown. Um, do is there a bus that does drop people off next to the library if they need to get there?

SPEAKER_04 28:04

Um we have recommended. We have buses passing the library. I think two bet buses pass the library like every hour. And then you have bike rack and you have places to live.

SPEAKER_02 28:15

Bus is every about roughly a half hour.

SPEAKER_04 28:17

So something like that, maybe not a half hour.

SPEAKER_02 28:19

Even a bus one hour is pretty obvious. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Oh, no, it was bad where I'm from. I had to wait an hour and a half sometimes.

SPEAKER_04 28:25

Yeah, and even when we just had that construction, the buses were still making sure that they were coming past us.

SPEAKER_02 28:30

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 28:30

Um, but you do have to remember to like flag the bus, like wave at them, and then they'll plug you out.

SPEAKER_03 28:35

Okay, yeah, okay. And then you said I said a bike rack. You guys have bike racks that kids want to ride bikes now too?

SPEAKER_04 28:39

Yep. Yep. We have bike racks. Um, we have all this stuff.

SPEAKER_01 28:42

That's fantastic. That is awesome. Yeah. Is there anything else before we wrap this up, Randy, that you want people to know about the library?

SPEAKER_04 28:50

We are so much more than books.

SPEAKER_01 28:52

Right. I agree. Oh my god. I agree. Yes.

SPEAKER_04 28:55

Yeah, everyone thinks we're just books. And I just I see so many families coming in. I see parents making new friends in the play area. I see um, you know, older people coming in and working on the puzzle at the puzzle.

SPEAKER_03 29:11

My little guy has to stop me there too. Yeah. I have to go to the bathroom sometimes. I'm like trying to check out the books. Yeah. He comes with me, he's like, oh no, I'm here. And then I come out and I'm like, okay. He's like, no, no, I'm finding his piece. And I have I love it. Like it I'm not always in a hurry, but you know, sometimes you're only trying to go somewhere, but yeah, they will stop you. Right. And that puzzle is awesome. I've seen groups of people around that.

SPEAKER_04 29:30

Yep. Yeah. It's it there's always a connection being formed um between people at the library and it's a good safe space of community.

SPEAKER_01 29:38

Yeah, it is. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 29:39

One last thing I'm gonna tell you that I found out this past year that I was very unaware of. There's this very cool room. I feel like it's a photo shoot room. Yeah. And I had no idea it was there. Can you tell us one little bit about that room? Because I don't even know if it's ever open. I think if it's like a secret key, it has to get in there. I don't know.

SPEAKER_04 29:56

Yeah. So you have to know the password.

SPEAKER_03 29:58

See, that's important.

SPEAKER_04 30:00

That's what I feel like. No, it's called the Great Plains room. And we have the door closed most of the time, um, just to kind of keep the humidity and temperature good in there. Um, it has all of our local documents. Um, so my nut history, things like that. Okay. Um, you can find like city directories from the 1930s and stuff. Um meeting me. Maps, you name it, Lewis and Clark stuff in there.

SPEAKER_03 30:25

Um so it's like a historical archive in a way. Kind of. Local and local stuff. Yep. Cool.

SPEAKER_04 30:31

Um, and so if anybody asks us to open it, we will. We have people who go in there and work and yeah.

SPEAKER_03 30:36

No, but when I tell you that's something I have to say, it looks like a nice, like like a sit down by the fire. Let me open my book. Right. And let me read a book. Like it's true. It's just it's got a whole setup. It's it's so cool. Yeah. Well, oh my gosh. Well, thanks for coming out and telling us all this because I don't know if people realize. I mean, we we talk about like the visit my not stuff, the spring and summer guide, but you guys, is there anything else that you guys come out with that they know in the future? Is there any just all online, right? If people want to find out, um, all online.

SPEAKER_04 31:04

Uh we also do brochures and stuff like that for events, um, kind of with the school schedule. So fall.

SPEAKER_03 31:11

So it follows the school schedule, thank you.

SPEAKER_04 31:13

Yeah. So we'll have something come out like August, September, and then something in January, and then something for summer. Fantastic.

SPEAKER_01 31:20

Well, thank you. Thank you so much. So again, what are the hours? Yeah. Oh gosh. Okay, yes.

SPEAKER_04 31:25

I could say Monday through Thursday, nine to eight, and then um a Friday and Saturday from 10 until five.

SPEAKER_01 31:31

And I think we'll have a link probably on this episode.

SPEAKER_03 31:33

Yeah, oh yeah, we'll have links and everything. And like if if you guys want to learn more about anything about the library, please, their staff is so personable and so helpful. Please reach out um from Josh to Julie to Randy to anybody you see there, just stop them. They will help you and ask. Look, if you guys don't ask, you don't know, right?

SPEAKER_01 31:50

Right.

SPEAKER_03 31:50

And if they don't know, they'll find it out and they'll call back the background.

SPEAKER_01 31:54

They this is you just heard Randy. She she hustles and she she she does her job extremely well.

SPEAKER_03 31:59

Yeah, and if you have an idea for a program you don't see there, talk to her. So I consider it. Yes, yes. I know. Well, thank you so much. Have a great rest of your summer, and thanks for everything you do for our kids in the community and also just for just everybody. Yeah, we appreciate it. Thank you so much. Thank you, guys. Okay, guys, you all have a good one. We'll see you soon.

SPEAKER_00 32:20

You see, life ain't no way.