Missouri Valley Public Library’s Dawn Meadows
Don Harrold, Executive Editor
editor@enterprisepub.com
Libraries have a lot going on in the summer. But school has started, so I asked Missouri Valley Public Library Director Dawn Meadows how she keeps kids coming in when they have other stuff going on.
"One of the things that we started doing a couple years ago was we set up an agreement with the elementary school, and every class from the elementary does a field trip at the library throughout the year, which is really neat," Meadows said. "It introduces them to all the things that we offer here, the different resources and programs that we have that they might be interested in."
On early-out days, when Missouri Valley schools let out early, "usually two to three times a month on a Wednesday," the library hosts its Imagineers Club.
"We offer some different STEM activities and Lego challenges for them on those days," she said. She usually calls it STEAM: "science, technology, engineering, art, and math."
There is also a monthly chess club, "just so kids can play chess together, learn about how to play, and just, you know, a fun thing that's also educational."
I asked if the library still does book-reading programs in the summer, where kids read so many books and earn points. "We have a very big summer reading program," Meadows said. "Kids can pick out whatever goal they want for their reading goal for the summer, and then when they meet that goal, they get prizes for it."
"The prizes are things that are donated from different businesses around town. So, like Rise and Grind gives us a coupon for free lemonade, Pizza Ranch, a free movie, train ride, et cetera, et cetera. There's just, there's so many different businesses that are involved."
The library used to be where the books were. I asked Meadows what she thinks of the library as a community center now.
"I don't really think of the library as a community center," she said. "I do know that we have to start changing. I know that we need to look at other ways to bring people in. To me, I kind of see the library as a third space. So it's not home, it's not work, but it's a place where you can go where you can be a community."
Or do puzzles, I said.
"Or do puzzles, exactly," she said. "We try to do our programming so that people can come talk with other people, meet people, do activities that are something different than what they would do at home."
That sounded like a difference without a distinction. I asked if the library will have to become more of that, with more things for people to do.
"Activities are similar to what may be offered at a community center," she said. "But, you know, Missouri Valley has the Rand Center. That's our community center. So we don't wanna become the Rand Center. We still wanna be the library. We just wanna offer more things that people might wanna come do at our library."
Speaking of more things to do at the library, here's what's coming up.
Thursday, Oct. 1, 5 p.m.: Native American beading class, taught by Delores Dorland.
"It's with a loom, so I think that's gonna be really interesting and very cool," Meadows said.
I asked who came up with the idea. "We decided to do some local artist displays in our library. It's kind of where this all originated," she said. "We're switching these out every few months with different artists. And then our thought was some of the artists that bring their work could teach a class."
Dorland's work was on display last month. "We asked her, 'Hey, are there some different types of art things that you would like to teach a class on?' And this was one of them," Meadows said.
She had used the word "we" more than once. I asked who "we" is. "The rest of the staff," she said. "Maura and Theresa and I usually get together and talk about some ideas, and then it's decided."
I said it sounds like real people deciding what would be interesting for the community. "Yes," she said. "And also community members that have ideas. We love to take new ideas, and we talk about that and decide if it would be a good fit for our library."
Friday, Oct. 2, 6:30 p.m.: Sherlock Holmes with Duffy Hudson.
"He's going to be impersonating Sherlock Holmes and doing, like, a storytelling," Meadows said. "He did a Houdini event, and it was great. So he's gonna be coming back and doing Sherlock Holmes."
Saturday, Oct. 3: Harvest Fest and Saturday Studio.
The library is taking part in the city's Harvest Fest, "which is all the businesses in town, they have a day where they do a shopping event," Meadows said.
"We have games in the fireside room, kind of like a board game café."
"I'm making my own special, very famous hot apple cider on that day, so people should come see that," she said. "It's delicious."
It's non-alcoholic, and she makes it at home.
Saturday Studio also meets that day. "It's kind of a exploratory. We're gonna be talking about artwork with different layers, collage and things like that," she said.
Thursday, Oct. 8, 5 p.m.: Barbed wire sculpture class, taught by Anne Prucha, whose work was previously displayed at the library.
Already past: The library held its first Girls' Night Out on Sept. 26, with a craft, snacks and book recommendations. The books were "cozy reads" from the library's collection. I asked what a cozy read is. "Just something that is not too serious," she said. "An adult read, maybe a mystery that's not too, you know, intense."
Asked what she hoped the night would be, she said, "I was kind of thinking towards young mothers who are at home all the time with their kids and maybe just need to have a night to themselves."
The library's full calendar is at missourivalley.lib.ia.us and on its Facebook page.
Then I asked about her. Not how she got to Missouri Valley, but how she got involved in the library. "I was working at the school as a paraeducator," Meadows said. "I worked with kids in the special ed department. So I was a one-on-one, and I would go around to all the different classes with that student and help them and just assist whatever they needed."
"I had gotten my master's degree, and I was just kind of looking for something a little more challenging and something I could have a little more ownership with. And the children's librarian job opened up, and I applied, and I got it. So that was wonderful."
I noticed something when she talked. About the library, she was louder. About her master's degree, she spoke more quietly. I asked why.
"I don't know," she said. "I don't like to brag about myself, I guess."
I told her a master's degree is much to be proud of, and a lot of work.
"It was, yeah," she said. "I just wanted to do more. So as the children's librarian, I was able to reach more kids. I was able to plan curriculum. I was able to kind of have a whole area that was all mine, and I got to decide what I wanted to do with it."
There's a difference between liking something and loving it. If you like something, you still need to get paid. If you love something, you would do it regardless. I asked Meadows where she is.
"I really love being a part of a community," she said. "Don't make me cry. But I do. I have always wanted a job where I had involvement in the communities…"
"I'm sorry. I do cry really easy."
Through tears she added, "So, yeah, that's my passion."
