The Library Vault

“Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children, play IS serious learning. Play is really the work of childhood,” Mr. (Fred) Rogers.

If you have children or are involved in the education or child care industries, you have probably heard the term “play-based”. It’s usually a way of describing early learning structures, like preschools and daycares, that promote play instead of a formal curriculum for learning. “Play based” does not mean that the children only play and never learn. Instead, they learn through play.

What does any of this have to do with libraries? For those of us who are avid readers, we already associate reading with play – even if we don’t realize it. How many of us pick up a book at the end of a long day to escape into another world? How many of us listen to riveting audiobooks while we drive or wash dishes to distract our minds from humdrum tasks? This is play. It’s also learning.

Consider this dialogue from one of my favorite movies, Sideways (2004):

Mike : What is the subject of your book? Non fiction?
Miles: Uh, no. It’s… it’s a novel. Fiction. Yes. Although there is quite a bit from my own life… so I suppose that, technically some of it is nonfiction.
Mike: Good. I like non fiction. There is so much to know about this world. I think [if] you read something somebody just invented, waste of time.
Miles: That’s an interesting perspective.

That quote about fiction being a ‘waste of time’ has always stuck with me as being so humorously wrong, though they don’t (sadly) go into why. It’s never a waste of time to read about people, places, and experiences that are new to us. When we read, we visit places we may never be able to visit. We meet people who aren’t in our daily spheres. We learn while we relax. Reading is my favorite form of play.

As a librarian, my primary goal is to help young people and families to love reading – and to be able to read easily, without fear of late fines or scary shushing librarians. Children spend most of their time in institutions where they are told what to do every minute of the day. A public library shouldn’t be like that. We should be a place where everyone wants to come to play. While they play, they learn. Then they take both home with them in the form of books to read. They form a lifetime love of the library, and through that they will love books and learning.

Play isn’t just for children and young people, of course. Adults need play to rest and rejuvenate both our bodies and minds. Play, including reading, is an excellent way to pursue joy. We need joy in our daily lives for both mental and physical health, not to mention a high quality of life. The library brings all these things together for free to anyone.

This fall, we have so many opportunities for patrons of all ages to play, learn, and find joy at the library. Tweens and young adults can play together on our Nintendo Switch in The Space every Thursday night starting September 4th. Like music? We feature new musicians in free concerts every month through programs like Jazz Up Close, Alika Hope and the Ray or Hope Band, Abe Ovadia‘s guitar concert, and folk musician Sarah Lou Richards. Secrets of Russell Library will even feature live music for the first time this year. For families, Kids can learn to play a simple violin with Fiddle n’ Fun on Saturday, September 28th. On October 5th, young adults can learn to play the ukulele for free with a professional musician.

Our Library Card Crawl on Saturday, September 21st will feature The Secret Lives of Owls, the Middletown fire department, Bear the K9 police dog, a magic show with Jeff Horton, and guided meditations sessions at the library. The last weekend in October, patrons of all ages can learn about the history of Russell Library (which includes the history of public schools, librarians, and women in Middletown) at our revamped Secrets of Russell Library.

In November, Wesleyan University’s Astronomy Department brings back their inflatable observatory for the first time since covid. Four sessions will allow over 100 patrons to experience this remarkable space dome. Kids and families can learn about the stars while feeling surrounded by them.

So the next time you are looking for a place to play with your kids, your friends, your significant other, or even alone, come to the library. We offer play, learning, and joy all wrapped up together and at no cost. If you happen to arrive and we have no special events planned that day, you can still play Mega Chess in The Lobby, air hockey or foosball in The Space, or pretend in the Activity Room with dinosaur bones, Sydney the giant snake, and a ball pit. Or just grab a good book and relax in our beautiful courtyard. You are invited to come play with us.