Slidell, Louisiana

The rain shows no sign of letting up, so we decide on a library visit.

Slidell Public Library, www.marianamcdougall.com, a girl playing and a girl reading in the childrens section of the Slidell Public Library

 

As we walk into the Slidell Public Library, the kids find the children’s section right away. It’s a colourful part of the library, full of all kinds of books for kids, as well as high quality toys. The kids love cooking pretend meals in the wooden kitchen, and K-girl reads several books, as usual. I try to be careful not to include other people’s children in the photos I take, so the photo below doesn’t do justice to how bustling this library was on a rainy Saturday morning.

 

Three children play in the junior section of the Slidell Public Library in Louisiana.

 

We love that there is an “anytime” craft available at the low wooden tables. We make teddy bear beds together, and it’s a lot of fun. The idea is that you tuck the teddy bear into bed and read him or her a story. There are also colouring sheets and crayons on another table.

 

Girl making a craft in the junior section of the Slidell Public Library

 

The staff is quick to come by and collect any pieces of paper that have fallen on the ground, and that must be how this library is so organized and clean.

At this library, we also learn about bears and how to stay safe if we ever encounter one. Patrons are encouraged to touch, cuddle, or pat the taxidermy, which is neat but also somewhat morbid, in my opinion.

 

Black Bear Safety display at the Slidell Public Library. A table with a black table cloth displays several pamphlets, and a black bear taxidermy display stands beside the table.

 

The reminders were good; I had forgotten what to do if I ever come to face a bear, and we are in black bear country, after all.

 

"Be Bear Wise" sign at Slidell Public Library. Sign states that if you encounter a bear at close range, you should face the bear and back away slowly while raising your arms and speaking loudly. If the bear approaches, throw rocks at it or use bear spray if you have it.

 

After doing some work, reading a tonne of books, doing some crafts, and playing, we start gathering our things and organizing ourselves to leave. As we do so, one of the librarians approaches us and says, “your children are so well-behaved; it was such a pleasure to have them in the library today. A short conversation ensues, and I tell her about our trip. She thanks us for stopping by the library, and we go back to the RV, hearts happy with another wonderful library visit.

What’s your favourite thing about the library?

2 thoughts on “Slidell, Louisiana

    1. Thank you for reading the post! We really did enjoy our time at the library, and do hope to come back some day 🙂 We are in Alberta now! We’ll be crossing the Canadian prairies soon, and will be back home in Ontario sometime in June. Thank you so much for the hospitality!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *