GPL Column: Introducing Fable the Fox

Growing up in southern California in the ’60s, Disneyland was a pretty big deal.

My brother, who is 13 years older than I am, splurged the $6.75 to take me to the Magic Kingdom for the first time when I was almost 5 years old.

The details of that day have faded, but I remember two moments clearly. We rode the Pirates of the Caribbean ride, and in the midst of the burning town I truly believed our boat would be sunk by pirate cannonballs. “They’re going to hit us!” I sobbed into my brother’s shirt.

Fortunately, that terror was forgotten not long after when I got to meet the REAL Pinocchio. My mind was truly blown. This was the first time I had experienced a life-sized character and it was magic. I shyly shook his hand and then gave in to an enveloping hug. Disney has always had that ability to draw us into the magic — and it has always come from the magic of story.

Libraries, too, are all about the magic of story. We love nothing better than seeing eyes light up when stories share their magic for the first time. It is never too late to get hooked on reading, but we especially love it when kids catch on to that magic long before they are school age. And so we’ve crammed our kids’ department as full of magic as we can make it.

If you’ve ever stood in line for a Disney attraction, do you remember how the excitement begins to build right then? The minute you step into line, Disney starts telling the story with creative images and interactive pieces around you as you wait.

At Greenwood Public Library, if the books are the attraction, then our kids department is the queue where the excitement begins. From the moment kids walk over our creaky old bridge as they enter the room, we work to create moments that delight and inspire in creative and imaginative spaces.

In 2018, when we remodeled our playspace into Main Street GPL, a curious thing happened. As kids became more engaged in the space, book circulation increased! We will be building on that success in the next year as our Greenwood Library Foundation raises funds for the playful reimagination of our storytime spaces. We are so grateful to the Johnson County Community Foundation for being an early investor in this project. But wait, there’s more!

In addition to reimagined spaces, we are pleased to announce that Greenwood Public Library is adding a very special team member. He’s the kind of employee sure to be a favorite with our youngest patrons, and he loves reading just as much as we do! Fable the Fox will be the library’s new reading ambassador.

We first met Fable when we launched our 1000 Books Before Kindergarten program and he allowed us to use his picture to brand that program. You may have seen his face on more of our marketing lately, and we finally decided to officially bring him onto the team. Fable will join us for special events, some storytimes, and you will even see him out and about in the community.

Fable has played an important role in our whimsical remodel of storytime spaces. His favorite place will be the new “Fable’s Den,” where kids can read in some of Fable’s favorite spots — a hollow tree or the soft green forest. Literacy activities will be available in this area all the time, so kids can pull up a “log” and settle down to learn in the forest. Kids can enter the space through a fox-sized hole or between the trees arching over the entrance. In a quiet corner we are adding a private space for nursing mothers, as well. Program Room E, where Miss Tori leads Jump Start storytime for the baby/toddler set, the whimsical reimagination will create the Greenwood Neighborhood where Fable also loves to hang out.

The magic of story is ready for you at the Greenwood Public Library no matter your age — and reading changes lives (that’s a guarantee). Stop by for your next book soon, and keep an eye out for Fable!

Cheryl Dobbs is the executive director at Greenwood Public Library. GPL staff members share in writing this twice monthly column for the Daily Journal.