As I write this on September 12, I am thinking back to a small something that happened within the past two weeks. Though perhaps it’s not really so small.

I was in Youth Services, helping a couple of children find books and also chatting with their mother. Mom and I were deeply involved in a conversation about something earth-shaking (I’m sure) when I saw a boy headed in our general direction. I think he was ten or eleven years old, and his arms were piled high with books. I didn’t know him, he didn't know me, and I can’t even say that we established real eye contact.

However, as he walked past us, at a bit of a distance, he said, with feeling, “I love the library.” That was it. Nothing else. There one minute, down the stairs to check out that pile of books the next. To whom was the child speaking? Beats me.

Unstaged, uncalculated, unscripted moments such as these are so much fun. I could have concocted a story to tell the world how much libraries mean to me, or to Western Civilization, and proceeded to justify my/our existence to library district taxpayers. (Of which, by the way, I am one.) Sometimes, though, serendipity happens, and I am provided with material for even a brief column, like this one.

Somewhere, I suppose, there is an old grump—fifty-six (56), let’s say, as old as I am—who may be grumbling, “What’s wrong with that library? All I did was keep twenty-seven books out two weeks past their due date, and thirteen people were on waiting lists for fourteen of those books, but I’m a taxpayer and why should I have to pay fines on materials that are mine, anyhow?”

Well. We deal with the grumps, too, but the staff at Alpha Park Library thinks that most of our patrons are more like that boy who loves his library. Even if he isn’t burdened —yet—with being a taxpayer. Feel free to let us know what you think of us. If it’s good, we will be flattered; if you have constructive ideas about how we might improve services, feed us those ideas. We can’t promise folks the world, but we can perhaps aim for a small part of that world.

All for now. Who knows what serendipity will happen between now and when the next “From the Director” column is due?