Spending spring break in a library may not sound like an ideal vacation, but for Eve Kneeland and hundreds of students from Auburn City schools, it was four days filled with fun and games.
"It's a much more casual week for us and we're not worried about helping the kids with their afterschool homework," said Kneeland, head of youth services for Auburn Public Library. "Our normal afternoon would be working with them on the computers or working with them on their homework, so this is a nice change for us as well."
Kneeland's schedule of special activities included hula hooping and an anime movie day Monday and Tuesday. Wednesday and Thursday featured board games, video games and a murder mystery for children to solve using clues in the library.
Kneeland said the attendance grew on each day of the week as more children returned from early vacations and the stormy weather forced them inside.
The spring break afternoon programs were held in conjunction with the library's normal weekly programs, which Kneeland said made for a very busy week.
"Honestly, we are every bit as busy in this library as Birmingham Public (Library) or Huntsville Public Library," Kneeland said. "We are doing the same kinds of programming that they are doing, so we're right on par with those larger libraries in what we happening here in Auburn Public in the youth services area."
The trend of public libraries as community centers is a recent one.
Kneeland attributed this to the economic downturn, as parents are forced to find more creative ways to keep children entertained than taking them to the beach or dropping them off at the mall.
While the library now owns several Nintendo Wiis and a robust DVD collection, Kneeland said the new programs are all part of getting young people to the library.
"The profession itself is changing, because our focus is changing on what we do as librarians," Kneeland said. "There's a lot more electronic entertainment, as well as the books themselves, with the e-books and Kindle and downloadable books."
Cynthia Ledbetter, youth services library assistant, was positive about the effect of Wednesday's gaming day.
"It gets the kids in here and once they start coming and they think it's a fun place to be, then they keep coming," Ledbetter said. "Then they check out books and use our other resources."
Victoria Lam, Auburn High junior and library ambassador, is one person who benefitted from the library's programs.
Lam started coming to the library to read when she was younger and became friends with Kneeland.
Now she volunteers to help with many of the library's programs and other duties like shelving and assisting patrons.
"I think we've had a great turnout," Lam said.
"We've had a lot of people all of the days."
Kneeland estimated attendance increased throughout the week. She estimated there were approximately 300 Wednesday.
"We are trying very hard to include everybody here at some point, in some way, in something that they would be familiar with and that they would be able to relate to and make them feel like they're part of this community here in Auburn," Kneeland said.
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