Librarian of Congress visits Marysville Library | News | northcountyoutlook.com
Librarian of Congress visits Marysville Library
Christopher Andersson
Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden, left, helps lead a children’s reading event at the Marysville Library with Sno-Isle librarian Abby Reveles, center, and Rep. Rick Larsen on Aug. 1.
The Librarian of Congress visited the Marysville Library on Aug. 1 to donate surplus books and read to local children.
Carla Hayden, the head of the Library of Congress, came to the visit the Sno-Isle Libraries system along with Rep. Rick Larsen for the day.
“It’s really a pleasure for me to be in a library that exemplifies what community libraries are in this day and age,” said Hayden.
Many library workers and other officials were excited about the visit.
“It’s not everyday that we have the top librarian in the world, in our view, visit one of our local libraries,” said Larsen.
“All of the librarians have fan-girled a little bit once we heard that Dr. Hayden would be coming down,” said Lois Langer Thompson, executive director of Sno-Isle Libraries.
Thompson said that librarians respected the work done by Hayden.
“Part of it is that she has put the Library of Congress back on the map, and brought it back to the community getting people excited about history and resources and we’re doing that at the local level as well,” she said.
Hayden came to the Marysville Library to donate some books, including local historical and art books about the Native Coast Salish people.
“They were specifically selected by the Congressman’s staff and they went through shelves and shelves and stacks to select materials,” she said.
Larsen and Hayden also took part in a reading activity for children and they both interacted with local children who came to the library for the day.
Local librarian Abby Reveles also helped lead the children’s reading.
“It was certainly a career highlight,” she said.
“She is such a delightful and well-spoken person and it is clear that she has such a passion for libraries. It was a great honor to be able to read with her,” she said.
Hayden and others also took a tour of the Marysville Library, which Thompson noted was practically led by Hayden herself.
“There are people who are coming every day and finding information and helpful staff members that will help them with their needs,” she said. “There were people on the computers and all types of services.”
She also noted how libraries lead in innovation in some areas.
“You may not know that libraries were the first institutions to have self-checkout before grocery stores,” she said.
Larsen also said libraries were important to communities and added he has many memories of going to the Arlington Library when he was growing up.
“Every Wednesday night we would pile into the station wagon, in the days before seat belts weren’t required and bring our books back to the Arlington Library and have about 35 minutes to check out new books,” he said.
