THE CROFTON branch of the Anne Arundel County Public Library looks the same as always this week - almost.
Cars fill the spaces in the library parking lot. Announcements of community activities line the hallway leading to the main desk. Children scurry to the Summer Reading Program desk to register for events or record which books they have read.
But library staff and patrons wear wistful expressions while perusing the bookshelves, as if preparing to say goodbye to an old friend. On Friday, at 5 p.m., the Crofton branch will close to the public so staff can begin moving library materials to the new facility on Reidel Road, which will open in September.
Since 1976, the Crofton Branch has served the public from its location in the Crofton Centre, on the corner between a grocery store and a Chinese restaurant. Thousands of area children were introduced to books through Summer Reading Programs, toddler programs and happy hours sitting among picture books in the children's section. Teen-agers rely on the library to do research for homework and as a great place to hold study sessions with friends.
Browsing the shelves also has led me and my friends to innumerable adventures in the world of literature. The staff is always ready to answer questions or suggest new writers or books I might enjoy. The library is more than a building - it has become a friend.
Branch Manager Ruby Jaby says it will be "business as usual" this week, but the look of intense concentration on her face reflects her concerns as she oversees the process of winding down business at this anchor of the community. In addition to meeting with the construction people, she and other library employees are looking over the library collection, trying to be sure that everything will be ready for the move. They also are helping to ease the closing's impact on area book lovers.
Although the library will be closed throughout the summer, the book drop will remain open through July 26. Patrons also can return their books to other branches. And the loan period for materials borrowed from the Crofton branch has been extended from three to 17 weeks. For example, the books I borrowed yesterday won't be due until October.
The Summer Reading Program will continue, with sessions being held in the Meeting Room. Amanda Chauza, 14, and Erin Beary, 12, have been volunteering as assistants. They help register the children and give information about Summer Reading events.
"We'll be working this summer, even when the library is closed, helping with the Summer Reading Program," says Amanda. Erin adds that she is looking forward to the new facility. "It's going to be great," she says, "bigger with lots of new books."
David Fletcher, a librarian at the Crofton branch for 10 years, also is looking forward to the expanded facility. But this summer, his work will be unusual - when he comes to work next week, the library will have its books and computers, but it won't have patrons.
Fletcher says that, over the years, he has become friends with many patrons. It will be strange to work without the public interaction that makes his job especially meaningful. Yet, he says with a smile, it will be a "delayed gratification" because he knows that the work he and the staff do in the summer will lead to a better library in the fall.
Jaby agrees. "A lot of people enjoy coming here because the people are nice, friendly and helpful," she says. "The new facility will be the same kind of library."
Vacation Bible School
Prince of Peace Presbyterian Church and St. Stephen's Episcopal Church will join to present Vacation Bible School the week of June 24-28 from 9 a.m. to noon at Prince of Peace on Crofton Parkway in Crofton.
This year's program is called "God's Great Gallery." Children taking part in the course will explore their creativity through art activities while learning more about the Creator. As a mission project, the children will make quilt squares that will be sewn together to form sleeping bags. The bags will be donated to children in need.
Information: 410-721-2313.