A4 • Friday, January 22, 2021 | Seaside Signal | SeasideSignal.com
SignalViewpoints
Do’s and don’ts at the public library
BETWEEN
THE COVERS
ESTHER
MOBERG
There is a children’s book at
the Seaside Public Library called,
If you ever want to bring a circus
to the library, “Don’t!” by Elise
Parsley.
I enjoy these books because I
know the author but it also reminds
me of all the things people bring
to the library and shouldn’t.
I was reminded again of this
title earlier this morning as I did
my weekly trash sweep outside
the library and picked up three left
shoes (apparently the right foot
is in more demand these days), a
white sock (again just one, must
have been a left foot), and various
other paraphernalia and trash.
Perhaps it is the library’s fault.
After all, we do encourage peo-
ple to feel at home in the library,
so much so that people treat the
library as a place they often view
as second home.
A second home, according to
dictionary.com is an additional
residence, as at the shore or in the
country, where one goes on week-
ends, vacations, where one spends
a great deal of time or feels wel-
come and at home.
We often have to remind people
that 3-year-old children shouldn’t
roam the entire library by them-
selves and no, your therapy dog
probably shouldn’t be tied up in
another room in the library while
you are far away from it on a
computer.
We have to remind people to
keep their shoes on, that we aren’t
a primary place for naps, and that
diaper changing is probably best
done in the bathroom in case of
accidents. Our brand-new carpet
in the children’s room was “bap-
tized” by one such diaper change
immediately after installation sev-
eral years ago.
I have just celebrated eight
years as library director. There
have been a lot of great memo-
ries, some headshakers and some
laugh out loud moments. It’s been
a privilege working with the peo-
ple of Seaside and it is always a
joy. I’m looking forward to even
more great memories ahead.
For example, library staff will
never understand why someone
tried to hide an entire hot dog in
one of our potted plants, ate a
sandwich on top of a library com-
puter keyboard, or why someone
ate an entire crab by the library’s
fi replace area.
We discovered the crab shells
after closing. We actually don’t
allow eating in the library simply
because we don’t have a clean-
ing crew every day for food. Not
only does it make things gross for
the books, it makes things not fun
and unhygienic for other people as
well.
Still, people sneak things in and
it still puzzles me how the crab
eater managed to crack the entire
crab quietly and not get caught.
It kind of made sense that a
child thought it would be fun to
take our chess sets and hide all
the pieces throughout the library
shelves, leading to a scavenger
hunt for staff to fi nd all the pieces.
It must have been a younger child
since most of the pieces were
way down low and yes, we did
fi nd them all and no, staff mem-
bers don’t really want to repeat
this adventure ever again.
One of my all-time favorite
memories is the time a staff per-
son was getting the book drop
and left the side door open. She
turned around to fi nd a seagull
walking into the library, down
the hallway, and into the wom-
en’s handicapped bathroom stall,
where it proceeded to hop in the
toilet and take an impromptu
bath. She did manage to shoo it
back outside again but the rest of
the day the same seagull lurked
around the side doors eyeing us
all and just waiting for a chance
to break back into the library
again.
While we do provide access
for all humans, we have to draw
the line at spa days for seagulls,
so sadly he didn’t get a second
chance at the toilet.
Our parking lot has been meat-
balled twice. Five pounds of
meatballs dumped in our parking
lot which meant staff had to liter-
ally shovel it up.
We are talking serious meat-
balls here, the kind you could
buy on a stick at the Minnesota
State Fair with noodles wrapped
up inside. I don’t think these ones
traveled here from Minnesota,
but it’s a mystery to this day.
Why our parking lot, and why
two days in a row?
Someone else dropped an
entire aquarium, glass, rocks and
all. I’m hoping whatever was in it
survived OK.
These are just a few of the
memories and I haven’t even
mentioned what matters most, the
daily interactions with the won-
derful people of Seaside. People
reading is what drives the library.
People loving reading and
people enjoying the library and
sharing that with myself and the
library staff. While people’s idea
of librarians sitting around read-
ing books all day sadly isn’t true,
we do get to connect people to
books and resources and also talk
books which is a great second
best to reading all day long.
People searching for knowl-
edge and information brings them
to the library, and we are always
happy to help and serve as many
as we can. We may not have every
single answer, but nine times out
of 10 we can point you in the
right direction.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Support aid
programs
Improving lives in other
countries will protect us as
well. For those who worry
about the border protection
of our country, the best way
to help protect our country
is to better the lives of those
who aren’t here.
Many poverty-stricken
countries are the cause of
those trying to move and
create better lives. The
cause for concern is what
they have left behind in the
process.
Famine, lack of clean
drinking water, human traf-
fi cking, and few places to
live, are just a few of the
things those in developing
countries must deal with on
a daily basis.
Protecting the interna-
tional affairs budget, which
only takes a small fraction of
our country’s budget over-
all, is the easiest way to bet-
ter their lives in their own
homes.
Taking action has never
been easier, going to the
Borgen Project’s website and
emailing congress in support
of the international affairs
budget is all you have to do.
McKenzie Daniel
Borgen Project Writing
Intern
Seaside
Seaside High
students bring joy
Seaside High School
Associated Student Body
and class offi cers put on
events Dec. 14 through
18 to help spread holiday
cheer through the unprece-
dented times 2020 brought.
ASB started off strong
with a food drive where
they received the donation
of 850 food items and $825
in monetary donations.
Then each class came up
with something to do, too.
The freshman started
the high school year strong
by holding a Christmas
tree photo day where stu-
dents sent in photos of their
trees. The sophomore class
held a Zoom movie view-
ing of “The Grinch.” The
junior class made a happy
holidays video on their Ins-
tagram, which you can fi nd
at @shs.2022. The seniors
then came in strong with
hot chocolate kits distrib-
uted to students and staff.
Seaside High School
ASB thanks every-
body who supported us
in spreading cheer and
staying safe this holiday
season.
Abby Nofi eld
Communications
Director,
Associated Student Body
Storm waves no
place to take risk
As I was watching
the storm waves today
at 12:45 p.m. today, I
saw the most interest-
ing thing. A large drift-
ing tree with its roots
still attached was being
rolled up the sand by the
heavy surf and blowing
wind, a little to the south
of the Prom turnaround.
This was a massive log.
In disbelief I saw
three people walk out
and stand on the log.
Showing all the com-
mon sense of the uncon-
scious, they were caught
by a wave, the log rolled
and they were tossed
into the surf. Incredi-
bly they were able to
slog back out as the log
was rolled around some
more.
Even more incredi-
bly, they went back out
and again stood on the
log as the surf ebbed and
were caught again when
it surged. It was like
watching a “stupid peo-
ple” video with life and
death consequences.
At 1 p.m. the log is
still being rolled around.
Who’s next?
Robert Liddycoat
Seaside
PUBLIC MEETINGS
Contact local agencies for latest
meeting information and atten-
dance guidelines.
MONDAY, JAN. 25
Seaside City Council, 7 p.m.,
cityofseaside.us.
TUESDAY, JAN. 26
Sunset Empire Park and
CIRCULATION
MANAGER
Jeremy Feldman
ADVERTISING
SALES MANAGER
Sarah Silver-
Tecza
PUBLISHER
EDITOR
Kari Borgen
R.J. Marx
Recreation District Board
of Directors, 5:15 p.m., 1225
Avenue A.
Seaside Airport Advisory Com-
mittee, 6 p.m., cityofseaside.us.
PRODUCTION
MANAGER
CONTRIBUTING
WRITERS
John D. Bruijn
Skyler Archibald
Darren Gooch
Joshua Heineman
Rain Jordan
Katherine Lacaze
Esther Moberg
SYSTEMS
MANAGER
Carl Earl
FRIDAY, JAN. 29
Seaside City Council, 2-5 p.m.,
goal setting, cityofseaside.us.
SATURDAY, JAN. 30
Seaside City Council, 2-5 p.m.,
goal setting, cityofseaside.us.
6 p.m., cityofseaside.us.
TUESDAY, FEB. 2
Gearhart City Council, 7 p.m.,
cityofgearhart.com.
Seaside Planning Commission,
WEDNESDAY, FEB. 3
Seaside Signal
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