Capture the Flag!

When I talk to people about my job here at the library, I often end up dispelling myths about what the library and my job are like. No, it's not particularly quiet; no, I don't get to spend my days reading; yes, we still have plenty of print books and will for the foreseeable future. That sort of thing.


I laid out some rules . . .

Something that comes up a lot is the fact that the library's mission has changed a lot in the last fifty years. Once upon a time we focused on being an erudite source of edification, a little ivory tower in the middle of downtown. These days, our official mission statement reads, "The mission of the Carnegie-Stout Public Library is to improve the quality of life by providing resources that enhance and contribute to individual enjoyment, enlightenment, and knowledge." We still work to provide materials and programs that will broaden people's horizons and teach them more about their world, but we also realize that the library can help the community by being a place where people come together for more lighthearted pursuits.


while the competitors listened attentively.

This is all a big windup to the fact that we tried out a new program this weekend: Nerf Capture the Flag! Just shy of twenty folks gathered after closing on Saturday for a couple of hours running around the reference area shooting little foam darts at each other. Much fun was had by all, we met some nice folks, and we all learned a valuable lesson about the effects of short bursts of intense activity on bodies that aren't as young as they used to be.


I don't suspect that the folks who installed these shelves ever
imagined they'd be used for cover in a foam dart shootout.

If this sounds like fun, keep an eye out for signs in the building or a post on our Facebook page. And if you should happen to find a little foam dart behind the reference desk, give it to a librarian and tell them Andrew said you could have a piece of candy for it.




A tense dash from one shelf to another!



I know this one's quite blurry, but the action pose was too good to pass up!



The winners!