Tribute to the Livermore Library

Although I just wrote this post, I have been thinking about writing it for a while now. It seems today, April 23, is World Book and Copyright Day (thank you, Lucy), which means it also seems like a very fitting day to publish it!

We have an awesome library here in Livermore. It's amazing. Really, I think the most incredible library I have ever seen accessibility- and resources-wise. (Although I am not seeing "The Wizard of Oz" in their movies collection, but it might just be checked out.) It's also a beautiful library, inside and out. The best part is we live only a three minute walk from it through a lovely little park.

Madie loves this mosaic on the outside walkway of the entry. It has characters from history and stories--old and new--all over it. And it's surrounded by a stone bench which is supported by stack of stone books.

Woah, Dad! Check it out!

It's ME!

The library has story times for "lap-sitters" and toddlers, preschoolers, and kindergartners during the week. Madie and I went on Wednesday this week and she thoroughly enjoyed watching the other kids. It's nice for her to see kids crawling, etc. Hopefully it will motivate her.

Another cool aspect of the library is a cafe in the east wing with a little outdoor area too. Mike and I keep meaning to try it, but we haven't yet. There's also a used-book room where you can buy any of the books, magazines, movies, and audio books the library no longer needs or wants. My favorite feature though is the large selection of foreign language children's books to choose from, all conveniently located in one sweet little section of the children's area. It's exactly what I've been looking for since I've started learning Russian, and now Madie and I read between three and five short Russian stories or poems every morning. We look at the pictures, translate what we understand, and then pull out the dictionary and translate the rest.