Literary Travel – Wisconsin Edition

Hi Everyone,

It’s been a long time since I made an entry in this series, but I have to show you some cool things that I found on my most recent trip!

Two months ago, my husband and I went on our annual trip to Milwaukee, Wisconsin. While in that state, I explored two separate libraries, one with the relative I stayed with and the other with my husband. All of the photos used were ones that I took.

First up is the Lake Geneva Public Library.

The Lake Geneva Public Library is situated in Lake Geneva – one of the most beloved cities in Wisconsin. Its prairie style building was constructed by Frank Lloyd Wright protege James R. Dresser in the mid-1950s. It contains an open space as well as long and wide windows, so patrons can see what’s outside on both sides of the library. Plus, the library is located close to Geneva Lake itself, so it’s pretty to see the lake from that location.

My relative and I took a day trip to Lake Geneva to explore what it had to offer. This included a church-turned brewery that we had lunch at. Once I knew that it had a library, I wanted to check it out. Inside, the library stretches as long as Geneva Lake.

When we walked through the door and past the new books section, we saw a small Library of Things (LoT). The items included a bocce set, disc golf, a bird watching kit, and a musical instrument. Even though I’ve seen more extensive LoTs (*cough Ann Arbor Public Library in Ann Arbor, Michigan), the things offered here are just right for a community in sync with nature and having fun.

Other unique items that the library had to offer were memory care kits for those that have those kinds of issues.

I also couldn’t help but notice the cute stuffed penguin hidden by one of the plants!

The decorations in the library made use of the space while still indicating its purpose. For example, the stained glass separators between sets of tables and chairs were a unique touch. One could always make study rooms, but it might be too isolating for certain communities. After all, libraries are always encouraging their patrons to come together. While some might disagree with this approach with the separators, they still accomplish this by allowing people to study but in an open area.

In addition, I love how the library has lots of end caps on their shelves. This is most apparent in the children’s section, where each one displayed the kinds of the books in that particular spot. That part of the library was also spacious and colorful as a juvenile section should be.

The last thing that I want to mention is the big red chair. One of the things that Lake Geneva is known for is that it’s the birthplace of the Dungeons and Dragons (DND) game. Even though the library didn’t have any outwardly DND items out, it contained a huge red chair that had designs which reminded me of its aesthetics. It was located on the second floor, where the adult fiction collection is at. And reader, it was also comfortable. In fact, I asked the person working at the circulation desk about that piece of furniture, and she mentioned that it was recently donated.

Overall, it’s clear to see that the library was designed in a way that catered to its community in a unique fashion. It relies on open spaces and helping out the patrons when it can. Plus, it gives nods to the history of Lake Geneva. Along with their website, you can check them out on Facebook and Instagram!

And now, the second and last library of the trip: the Whitefish Bay Public Library!

Located about 15 minutes north of Milwaukee, this library in Whitefish Bay was established in 1937, but it has been its current building since 2002. Its goal is to make a difference in their patrons’ lives by creating connections, building communities, and collecting stories, and they follow through with that.

My husband and I found this library while we were on our way to his childhood friend’s house nearby. When we went inside, we were greeted by a very nice lady at the circulation desk. I told her what I was doing, and she gave me the go ahead to take photos.

In addition, there was scooter parking inside the library in the lobby area. This automatically made me realize that this library was indeed a safe space because they are saying to kids that they can keep their scooters INSIDE the library rather than the usual bike rack outside. Plus, I love the colors on the scooter rack.

I first went on the children’s side. It was there that I found a bunch of letters and symbols of different sizes and colors coming together that stretched along the wall. I thought that it was a nice aesthetic touch.

Also along the walls was art done by local illustrators like the famous Lois Elhert.

In the alcove, I found a space painted with various animals. I soon discovered that it was an “I Spy” mural painted by the Timothy Haglund Studio in 2005. I can see it peaking the curiosities of many children and challenging them to find all 30 animals in that area.

In the adult area, I first noticed the display of games that people can check out as well as information on various Wisconsin state parks on top. I was there right before summer began, so I’m glad that the library was thinking ahead when it comes to suggesting summertime activities.

Furthermore, it offered walking historical and architectural tours of Whitefish Bay and a Take and Tinker collection. The latter lets patrons check out a kit to learn a new hobby or skill all while having fun. I had never seen a collection of that kind in a library, and I hope the patrons are having a great time with those kits.

In addition, I like the architectural design found in the adult section. The supports that were holding up the ceiling looked like buttresses that held up medieval or Tudor-era buildings.

Moreover, I found a scrapbook that detailed the history of the Whitefish Bay High School and was put together by its students for its 75th Anniversary. They were also kind enough to put that history into context of what was going on nationally. Although I had to be careful while turning the pages, it was well put together.

The adult side was very spacious, which allowed people to browse through the collections, to study by natural light, and sit in red and blue comfy chairs.

I also noticed three things that were present on both sides of the library: color-coded labels; cement hands on the end caps; and art, lots of art. The former indicated where titles were within a section. The picture below is from the adult section, and the one underneath is from the kids’ side.

The second was on end caps that faced the public areas. I thought that these were a cute way to represent the people who donated to the library.

Finally, both contained plenty of art in various medium on its walls. I already talked about the ones in the children’s section. The ones on the other side contained photography, acrylic paintings, and prints (also, the portrait done by Glenn Meyers eerily looks like me). These made for a consistent image of a library that was fully dedicated to art.

And of course, when my husband and I left the library, I spotted a library holds locker. It’s a relatively new thing in the library world, yet it helps patrons to grab their already checked-out items if the library is closed or if they are in a hurry. I fully support these lockers.

All in all, just like the Lake Geneva Public Library, the Whitefish Bay Public Library is spacious and caters to its community in specific ways. It knows that its patrons are into art and history and are plain curious. The library also actively engages the patrons with the unique items it offers and lets people know that everyone is welcome. Along with their website, you can check them out on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pintrest.

And that concludes the third installment of “Literary Travel!” I hope all of you had a fun time on this trip. I will be posting a new one, this time to Cincinnati, Ohio, after Labor Day, so stay tuned for that!

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