NATIONAL LIBRARY WEEK: VISIT TO THE KONA-KAILUA PUBLIC LIBRARY, HAWAII

Kailua-Kona Public Library, Hawaii

On my recent visit to the Big Island of Hawaii I made my usual visit to the Kona-Kailua Public Library to meet the children’s librarian and donate my recent books. (The state library system has 87 of my books, with 14 in the Kona-Kailua branch.) My husband Art and I have been making trips to Hawaii for a long time—he has a scientific conference held every three years in Kona and I go along for the ride. A visit to the library is always on my agenda. It has been five years since our last visit because the conference was postponed during the Pandemic. So, it was especially nice to return.

A battle car to battle bad guys. By Davy.

I’m always interested to see what kinds of activities the librarians are doing with children and learned that they have a variety of Saturday programs for kids. The librarian pointed out an exhibit of a recent craft/story telling project she had done with young children using Legos. 

A restaurant. By Jamal.

The children were free to create whatever they wanted or if they preferred, they could follow a prompt. When they finished they wrote a short story about their creation or told it to an adult who wrote it for them. I’m sure they were very proud to see their projects displayed near the front of the library for everyone to see and enjoy. The project is a great way to combine playing with a favorite toy—Legos—and practicing story-telling skills. I was impressed by the ingenuity of the projects.

Ant city in Antarctica in the water. By Xander.

 

 

NATIONAL LIBRARY OF DENMARK: Stunning Inside and Out

 

National Library of Denmark, View from top level.

A highlight of our recent trip to Copenhagen, Denmark, was a visit to the National Library (The Royal Library), a stunning combination of new and old architecture. It is among the largest libraries in the world and the largest in the Nordic countries.

Reflection of boat and canal on the outside of the library.

In 1999 the original historic building of the Royal Library was expanded with the addition of a sparkling modern structure, known as the Black Diamond because of the way its glass walls reflect the light on the water in the adjacent canal.

Escalator to the Second Floor. Painting on ceiling by Danish painter, Per Kirkeby

The ground floor of the library has a well-stocked gift shop (including a section for children’s books), a café, and an escalator to the second floor with a link to the old library building.

View of Canal from inside the library.

 

But first we rode an elevator to the top floor where we got a breathtaking view of the atrium, floors with books below, and the canal outside.

Bridge to old library.

The connection to the old library is over a bridge between the two buildings. In the lobby of the old library we found a display of unusual books in the collection. I was intrigued by a book about Legos, with an appropriately embossed cover. A folding book reminded me of my little toddler books, Who Is Bigger? Who Is Smaller? and Who Has More? Who Has Fewer?.

Lego book on display.

Folding book on display.

While a visit to the library may not be on most tourist agendas, the National Library of Denmark is definitely worth a stop.

Outside the library, a mermaid looks over the canal.