During the long gray winter months I drool over colorful photographs in garden magazines ... and make my own plans. At the Forest Park Branch Library, we are doing something like that; we are figuring out how to make our wish of a reading garden become a reality.
By JANET STUPAK
SPRINGFIELD — I am a devoted and enthusiastic gardener, maybe because with gardening, if I work hard enough, I can make my visions and dreams come to life.
Janet Stupak is community relations coordinator for Springfield Public Library.
During the long gray winter months I drool over colorful photographs in magazines like Fine Gardening, Better Homes and Gardens and Gardens Illustrated and make my own plans. At the Forest Park Branch Library, we are doing something like that; we are figuring out how to make our wish of a reading garden become a reality.
Last fall the children's room was imaginatively renovated through the generosity of the Barker Foundation and Troy and Pat Murray.
When the Joan and Charlie Ryan Family Place opened its doors, the Friends of the Springfield Library offered folks an opportunity to purchase commemorative bricks for a Forest Park Branch Library Reading Garden.
Soon, construction will begin in that patio area, so this may be your last chance to buy bricks engraved with text of your choosing. With Memorial Day coming up, perhaps you would like to honor a family member or friend who was a passionate reader - or gardener! (Bricks are $50 each and will be engraved with your message on up to three lines (all capital letters) with up to 18 characters per line, including the blank spaces in between the words.)
You can help us create a welcoming outdoor space on the corner of Oakland and Belmont Avenue to complement the beautiful new inside.
Indeed, it is quite a coincidence, and yet quite perfect, that this year's children's summer reading club theme is "Dig into Reading!" During June, July and August, kids will be making a "mole in the hole," doing "earth rubbings" to illustrate their own storybook, and going on an underground animal scavenger hunt. Children's story time could be held in the Forest Park Branch Library Reading Garden to provide additional opportunities for enrichment and connections. New garden-themed kids' books include: "What's in the Garden," by Marianne Collins Berkes, "Biscuit in the Garden," by Alyssa Satin Capucilli, and "A Green Kid's Guide to Soil Preparation," by Richard Lay.
On Sumner Avenue, just around the corner from the library is 735-acre Forest Park, designed by Frederick Law Olmstead, and one of the largest municipal parks in the United States. Originally built in 1884, it features a Springfield first - the first public wading pool in the United States.
Come visit the library to learn more about other "firsts" that happened here including: being the first Springfield in the United States, publishing of the first Merriam-Webster dictionary, invention of the first board game, the Checkered Game of Life by the Milton Bradley Co., and holding the first dog show in the United States.
We have designed the reading garden so that learning does not have to stop simply because the doors of the library are not open. Visitors sitting outside will have access to the library's Wi-Fi connection, giving them dawn to dusk Internet access from the peaceful comfort of the garden.
Imagine a person accessing the library catalog to download and listen to "American Eden: from Monticello to Central Park to our Backyards: What Our Gardens Tell Us about Who We Are," by Wade Graham. The publisher summarizes this audio book saying "from Frederick Law Olmsted to Richard Neutra, Michelle Obama to our neighbors, Americans throughout history have revealed something of themselves - their personalities, desires, and beliefs - in the gardens they create. Rooted in the time and place of their making, as much as in the minds and identities of their makers, gardens mirror the struggles and energies of a changing society. Melding biography, history, and cultural commentary in a one-of-a-kind narrative, "American Eden" presents a dynamic, sweeping look at this country's landscapes and the visionaries behind them." It sounds fascinating.
In addition, some new books on gardening that adults might enjoy are: "Paradise Lot: two Plant Geeks, One-Tenth of an Acre, and the Making of an Edible Garden Oasis in the City," by Eric Toensmeier, "The Vegetable Gardener's Guide to Permaculture: Creating an Edible Ecosystem," by Christopher Shein, and "Powerhouse Plants: 510 Top Performers for Multi-season Beauty," by Graham Rice.
So then, what do we want to tell current and future residents about ourselves with this new Forest Park Branch Library Reading Garden?
I believe we want to say that anyone, no matter what age, can cultivate a love for learning and reading at the library, and that these can happen indoors and out.
Innovation is one of Springfield's strengths, as is the Springfield City Library system; both are firmly rooted in Springfield's past, and essential for its future growth.
This reading garden will bring new energy to the corner of Oakland Street and Belmont Avenue, and you can help make it all happen with your donation! Checks should be made out to the Friends of the Springfield Library and mailed along with your text message to: 220 State St., Springfield MA 01103. For more information, call Mary Ann Maloney, president of the Friends of the Library, at (413) 737-8036.
Join us at the following special events made possible through funding from the Massachusetts Cultural Council:
• Pictures and Words: Paintings and Poetry by Narelle Thomas at the Pine Point Branch Art Gallery on display through June 28. Drawing upon local urban settings, family, nature and Christian iconography, Thomas vibrantly depicts scenes of pain, joy and transformation.
• 5182 Saxophone Quartet in the Central Library Rotunda on May 19 at 1 p.m. An upbeat concert of original saxophone arrangements, from classical to jazz, and pop to avant-garde, this is music the entire family will enjoy. 5182 Saxophone Quartet includes Paul Coffill (lead), John Christie, Travis Devin and Aaron Lipp.
• Too Human in Concert in the Central Library Rotunda on June 1 at 1 p.m. Tap your feet and sway to the beat of American songbook favorites, plus a sprinkling of Too Human originals. Jazz, Latin, rhythm & blues, and folk styles firmly ground the vocals, guitar, percussion and upright bass of Too Human's fresh and innovative songs. Too Human is Ellen and Roger Bruno with guest artist Genevieve Rose on upright bass. Free.
The Springfield City Library column appears monthly in Neighborhoods Plus. For information about the library and its programs, call Janet Stupak, community relations coordinator, at (413) 263-6828, ext. 422, or visit www.springfieldlibrary.org