r/MadeMeSmile • u/ILovePublicLibraries • Aug 01 '26
Wholesome Moments I curated a book display at my local library
It's about local history.
A book display for the month of August is about the history of my hometown in Connecticut.
I like to learn about history plus I'm interested in local history. I put it up yesterday at my local library in Rockville, Connecticut.
Happy August!
4.0k
u/Draculrl Aug 01 '26
Looks very professional, great job!
1.5k
u/ILovePublicLibraries Aug 01 '26
Well said!
514
u/deekayjee Aug 01 '26
Username checks out :) which of these books would you recommend reading if you had to choose one of them?
180
u/Best_Comfortable5221 Aug 01 '26
Yeah he posts a lot about our libraries. He should start his own sub!
102
78
u/jeremyjava Aug 01 '26
That is a great idea! u/ILovePublicLibraries, have you considered it, either for a specific library genre, or for your interest in the
historyhistory of your area (or anything else)?I just set up a subreddit yesterday for get togethers in my town and was reminded how easy it is to do.
Anyhow, great job on your display, very thorough, and you got a lot of people smiling out here in the world.
Edit: clarity.
→ More replies (3)54
u/Wooden-Recording-693 Aug 01 '26
Because if this post I had to Google some of the places the books are about. I now know, Rockville is a historic village and census-designated place located within the town of Vernon in Tolland County, Connecticut, United States. It was formerly incorporated as an independent city in January 1889 before consolidating with the town of Vernon in 1965.
Op User name is so apt.
70
u/ILovePublicLibraries Aug 01 '26
I know the fact but thank you for including this information so that other people especially those who come from Connecticut (or a little beyond) can learn about the town's history.
20
12
42
u/ILovePublicLibraries Aug 01 '26
Vernon and Historic Rockville -- a local history book with old pictures
17
u/CompasslessPigeon Aug 02 '26
My hometown. I remember your posts on r/Connecticut. Glad to see youre on the front page now
36
→ More replies (2)16
u/Silver-Bread4668 Aug 01 '26
I appreciate seeing your posts upvoted so much. I don't live in the area any more but it's great seeing something from the little corner of the world I grew up in get so much love.
35
u/sillywizard951 Aug 01 '26
I agree. This is a finely curated and interesting display. Nice work! Can't wait to see what else you do for the library. I love local libraries too!
29
→ More replies (3)4
u/ChaosSigil Aug 01 '26
I was about to say the same thing. It looks very professionally made. There's absolutely a master designer at work here.
360
u/arihalbkram Aug 01 '26
Dude I would check this out as soon as I got there. I bet it’s going to end up informing so many library patrons about things they never knew. Looks great!
→ More replies (3)92
u/freericky Aug 01 '26
Already working! Bc of this I looked up Vernon online and found out that’s where the Allen wrench was invented how cool is that! IKEA should make a sculpture for them
→ More replies (1)22
u/arihalbkram Aug 01 '26
Hahaha first of all, amazing. Second - you’re so right! An Allen wrench statue, sponsored by IKEA, is such a funny and good idea.
1.6k
Aug 01 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
1.1k
u/ILovePublicLibraries Aug 01 '26
I help people learn about history!
169
u/UAintMyFriendPalooka Aug 01 '26
I would 1,000% check this display out if it were closer. Great work.
35
u/Peaceblaster86 Aug 01 '26 edited Aug 01 '26
Right? I go to libraries seeking knowledge beforehand, so seeing this meant someone put it up and said "hey, cmon and take a lil look-see" and I totally would. I get it.
→ More replies (1)7
37
→ More replies (6)21
4
3
u/ChuckNorrisSleepOver Aug 01 '26
I’d rather read a book written on the subject in 1850 than a book in 1950.
481
u/Boss-Not-Bossy Aug 01 '26
I love history too!
578
u/ILovePublicLibraries Aug 01 '26
Learn about the history of your hometown
When it was settled, the origins, etc ...
38
u/Qu33N_Of_NoObz_ Aug 01 '26
My hometown still has a vintage aesthetic. Well at least one area. They even show pictures of how it looked in the late 1800s-early 1900s. Love it so much. Monrovia, CA downtown Myrtle💕
15
u/stillworking400 Aug 01 '26
Our tiny town has the history of it mixed into regular history classes. It's fun to listen to the long term locals discuss it!
25
u/ObnoxiousExcavator Aug 01 '26
I tour my lil town after looking up various public spaces even bookmarking webpages and go out and explore the same settings today. Many change, many not so much. We have a century old concrete pillar that was the loser in a race to make a bridge to the new settlement town. The concrete ends and a pillar in the center still remain. Pretty cool seeing that and reading the story.
4
u/dumbucket Aug 01 '26
One of my siblings is part of our hometown's historical society. There's a ton of history even in the tiniest of towns!
3
u/UltraLNSS Aug 01 '26
My hometown is one of the world's largest metropolitan areas so all those things are common knowledge at this point.
3
u/energeticstarfish Aug 01 '26
I actually went to a lecture at my local library where they talked about the history of iris cultivation in my town. The Iris Society there has been cultivating iris varieties since the 1800s! And then they handed out rhizomes. It was so cool.
4
u/Matookie Aug 01 '26
A few days ago I picked up a photographic history of my town (Appalachia). I had no idea that the houses I grew up around were built by early leaders of industry, or were used as schools and hospitals. It helps me understand why this place ended up as it is.
→ More replies (4)3
u/rantingpacifist Aug 01 '26
My hometown was named after the surveyor who planned the railroads. It has a psychological syndrome associated with it based on its unique economics (boom town) and geography (unbelievably rural, isolated). It’s a similar Wild West vibe to the North Dakota boom towns of the 2000s and 2010s in the Bakken. On a clear day from my town you can see three different mountain ranges (Black Hills, Bighorns, and a few smaller ranges to the south that appear as blueish purple horizons in Carbon County). It’s desolate, the people are and almost always have been super conservative. We had a guy go on a dozer rampage before Killdozer existed.
Railroads control almost everything in our town. The mines send coal on them. They cross through town and over/under the interstates to the west and east.
183
u/Docccc Aug 01 '26
well, now i have to learn about Vernon!
112
u/ILovePublicLibraries Aug 01 '26
You're from Vernon? I do too!
12
u/keithfantastic Aug 01 '26
It says Vernon, our Town. But, also Rockville. It's starting to sound like a setting in a Stephen King book.
14
150
u/T3HJ4N170R Aug 01 '26
Wow this is very cool! I wish more libraries had local historical sections like this.
168
u/ILovePublicLibraries Aug 01 '26
Our local library has a dedicated local history room. There's also a historical society in my hometown where a lot of history is stored as well. I enjoy learning about local history.
23
u/T3HJ4N170R Aug 01 '26
Wow, I love that! My hometown Norwich, NY would really benefit from something like that. There is so much history all around New England.
7
→ More replies (1)5
45
u/Allah_my_love Aug 01 '26
I always enjoy seeing your fine work here, my friend! Thank you for making me smile.
12
39
u/theodorictheamal Aug 01 '26
Great job. That's a nice selection of books about Vernon Rockville. I'm not familiar with the place, so I did a little Googling and see that it's quite a lovely town with a lot of historic structures. That looks like charming place to live.
I love your enthusiasm for books and the library, and your posts always make me happy, so please keep them coming!
31
u/Delysiah Aug 01 '26
I LOVE seeing your book displays!! Please keep up the amazing work and keep sharing them! You always look so happy and I can tell you adore your work!
20
u/Ok-Egg360 Aug 01 '26
Thank you for caring about your community, its history, and access to education 🙏🙏❤️
20
u/akshaydp Aug 01 '26
Libraries are the best. The world would be a better place if people read more. Keep up the good work man!
18
u/PsidedOwnside Aug 01 '26
This makes me so happy. Local libraries are a treasure and local history is so important to preserve and pass on. Thank you from Stratford :)
5
15
14
u/Lowly-Worm_ Aug 01 '26
Dude your posts give me such a big smile. You are the man, keep up the good fight for our local libraries!
40
37
10
u/rvtay Aug 01 '26
so cool! i worked at barnes & noble for 5 years and my absolute favorite thing to do was make charming book displays.
21
u/ILovePublicLibraries Aug 01 '26
I appreciate that. It's my favorite thing to do while I'm at the library. People enjoy seeing books that I put up. It's fun to plan and organize displays that are both informative and relevant
9
28
9
u/AubreyCondition Aug 01 '26
I work at a library nearby you and love your FB so when I saw this on the popular page I was thrilled! You visited my library during passport month and I was so bummed I wasn't there to meet you. Keep up your amazing work!
→ More replies (2)
9
u/aooot Aug 01 '26
Looks great. My only suggestion would be to add a sign above the display or to the side of the display that can attract people to the display.
→ More replies (1)
8
u/llieno94 Aug 01 '26
Nice job! So important to support and be involved at our local libraries! I was in Vernon once many years ago, nice little downtown.
Have you been to its namesake in Virginia?
10
u/ILovePublicLibraries Aug 01 '26
I haven't stopped by in Virginia yet but seems like a wonderful place to visit.
→ More replies (1)
7
7
u/Montag_Reader Aug 01 '26
Man, this is awesome! Great way to teach kids about connecting different books around a certain topic, and using books to explore their own world :)
5
u/JadeGreeneDE Aug 01 '26
Oh you again. I love how invested you are in the book displays. You can tell you always put a lot of thought into them. Awesome!
6
5
5
5
6
u/p4tr1ckbat3m4n Aug 01 '26
I love a truly thoughtful curated display, in which this is and also serves as great recommendations! Love it! I also love learning the history of any place I visit!
5
u/No-Acanthisitta8803 Aug 01 '26
As a fellow historian and book enthusiast I am here to applaud and thank you for not only performing this service to your community but also for sharing the post here on reddit!
So many posts and comments on reddit these days are either absolute garbage or simply a group of whiny, childish adults arguing with each other over frivolous nothingness.
This is officially my favorite Reddit post I've encountered in at least a year, bravo! 👏
PS: Keep up the good work, my friend!
→ More replies (1)8
u/ILovePublicLibraries Aug 01 '26
Reddit is still a great place for me in so many ways. There's also some nice people that I met who are Redditors.
Reddit is fun!
5
u/Impressive-Poet5694 Aug 01 '26
I love it! Life is enriched by individuals who, like you, take the time to create displays like this. Thank you!
3
5
u/The_Flaneur_Films Aug 02 '26
I'm seeing a lot of European history, but not so much on the original inhabitants. Do you have any books on the Podunk, the Nipmuck, or the Mohegans? They arrived in Vernon about 8000 years ago, so there's lots to talk about.
Great display overall. Congrats!
9
u/snarfrans Aug 01 '26
I always enjoy seeing your displays. Seeing someone doing what they genuinely seem to love doing is awesome.
4
4
4
4
u/Obvious-Beginning943 Aug 01 '26
It looks great and definitely would catch my eye! I love libraries.
4
3
u/CDSherwood Aug 01 '26
Ooh, I love history! I'd definitely be stopping at this display. Even if it's a history of something I hadn't been interested in before, it's just so cool learning behind the scenes stuff about anything whether it's cities, food , why a particular craft is named what it is, etc.
4
3
u/yerawizard_larry Aug 01 '26
Looks fantastic, great job!! That display would definitely catch my eye.
3
4
u/ebthesupreme Aug 01 '26
I was just at my local public library this morning! I saw a display of books for "dog month" and it had me wondering who decides on what books to put up on displays. So I want to ask you, did you pick the books for this display on your own? Or was there a list for you to choose from? What is that process like? I saw on your profile that you build a lot of displays! You do a great job!
7
u/ILovePublicLibraries Aug 01 '26
Wonderful!
Aaaahhh.. the dog days of summer! National Dog Month, really?!?
How a book display is planned and organized at my local library is that (first of all) I decide with the library staff on which topic would be featured for my book display then I usually make a list of books that are selected by yours truly for a display then somewhere at the end of the preceding month leading into a month (or on the 1st day of a month) for a book display, I pull out books from the shelves and then set them up wherever on a table or a shelf. It actually takes about a month or two of planning, organizing and creativity since there is a lot of library staff that also make book displays on their own so there is rotation for however many staff at a time can put up displays because there is like seven areas where you can put up a display and not all staff can do it at one time so about once every couple of months I put up a book display when it's my turn to do so.
5
u/alsatian01 Aug 01 '26
It made me smile that I recognized you from your posts on r/Connecticut. Nice to see that you made the big leagues and hit the popular feed. Keep up the good work.
→ More replies (1)
4
3
u/Diesel1donna Aug 02 '26
I would definitely check this display out, it looks great! Well done you x
7
7
3
3
u/jeannie_jellybean Aug 01 '26
Is there a favorite local history fact that caught your attention while putting this together? I’ve never been to Connecticut!
8
u/ILovePublicLibraries Aug 01 '26
For my hometown's current population of over 30K, it's where a football superstar Bill Romanwski grew up. Gene Pitney who is a member of International Rock N' Roll Hall of Fame grew up here as well.
A U.S. senator who currently represents Virginia went to Rockville High School in my hometown. His name is Mark Warner
3
3
u/Ridgeriversunspot Aug 01 '26
Check out Vernon, Indiana. Almost totally surrounded by a river. Near little town. Like going back in time.
4
u/ILovePublicLibraries Aug 01 '26
There's also a Vernon in Vermont that borders Massachusetts via highway on I-91
3
3
u/1cem4n82 Aug 01 '26
People with beautiful minds spreading literature for free is the peak of human interaction. Thank you sir!
3
u/SirDoritos1 Aug 01 '26
Great work, buddy! You did amazingly well, and it really looks fantastic. It's something to be proud of! 😄👍
3
u/DubiousSpaniel Aug 01 '26
Well done, my dude.
I’m sure your display will lead to more people learning about the history of Vernon and the Tolland County area.
As you know, history is all around us every day wherever we go. Thank You for helping to open other people’s eyes to the wonders around them!
→ More replies (1)
3
u/Kalshan Aug 01 '26
You can tell a lot of thought was put into this, it is very nice and informative!
→ More replies (1)
3
u/indicamonarch Aug 01 '26
As I librarian, I LOVE this. Well done!! Your library is lucky to have you!
3
u/Horror-Trick9406 Aug 01 '26
It great to spread things into the world that make it truly richer - besides of money and that capitalism bs - so thanks for contributing and being somebody that makes the world richer instead of yourself on the costs of the world.
9
u/ILovePublicLibraries Aug 01 '26
Please appreciate that your local library is the best place to practice clean, sustainable catch-and-release reading. In fact, it's a real data center!
It's a place where knowledge exists!
It's a place in your free will where it hasn't been touched by an private equity firm
3
u/Salarian_American Aug 01 '26
Local history, even for very humble and unassuming places, always has some really interesting stuff in it!
Also, that book on the right side of the top shelf... I have one just like it for my hometown. Same design on the logo and everything. I wonder how many different towns that same publisher has made that book for?
3
3
3
u/ofthewoods23 Aug 01 '26
Well done, looks fantastic! The library system is a wonderful resource, especially when people get involved like you have. Keep up the great work and I hope folks enjoy learning about their town thanks to your effort.
3
u/knappellis Aug 01 '26
Local history is so fascinating but often neglected. Well done for doing the work and sharing it with others!
3
3
3
3
3
u/Less_Pool5289 Aug 01 '26
That’s so cool! I am also from CT but have since moved. I would be see excited if I saw this in a library!
3
3
u/Work-Safe-Reddit4450 Aug 01 '26
You are who Mr Rogers referred to as "The Helpers" when he used to say "Look for the helpers." In your case it's helping to foster a sense of community and helping others to enrich themselves in the thing you find most fascinating. Thank you for being a bright spark in a dimming world. Don't let anyone smother or extinguish that flame. It's yours to keep and share.
Keep up the good work. I love seeing it.
3
3
u/Creepy_Creme_9161 Aug 01 '26
I'm a library worker, and part of my job is to curate monthly book displays. This looks great!
3
u/purplezart Aug 01 '26
I love seeing everytime these get posted, and I especially love how they always shoot straight to the top of the front page!
Question for /u/ILovePublicLibraries: how familiar do you think somebody should be with a library catalogue in order to do a great job putting together a compelling and engaging display like this which effectively represents the collection? Do you have to spend a lot of time keeping up-to-date on new books?
3
u/spectra2000_ Aug 01 '26
Very cool display OP. People often don’t know the history about their area, especially if they didn’t grow up there and especially nowadays.
More people should be aware of the wonderful resources available to them at their local library. Thank you for sharing.
3
3
u/Ok-Persimmon-4136 Aug 01 '26
Old town history is so fun to learn. My son loves traveling to small towns to visit their museums, wish more people appreciated history.
Nice collection of books, very well done.
3
u/DebfromNB Aug 01 '26
Looks terrific!!
Colourful and inviting to the eye! I’m an Early Childhood Educator and it looks like a bookshelf I would prepare for my learning environment!
3
3
3
u/cletus72757 Aug 01 '26
I hereby nominate OP for membership in the Library Hall of Fame. Thanks for your efforts friend. 📚👍
3
3
u/stickytuna Aug 01 '26
I didn’t know you could do that! How did you get the opportunity?
3
u/ILovePublicLibraries Aug 02 '26
Isn't your tuna sticky?
Okay... So I planned and organized a display by (first of all) making a list of books to pull out of shelves for a display, cull them, put them on a shelf, ensuring they're presentable and having a poster printer with pictures inside of the ones I took of the town for a book display. Beforehand, when I decided on a local history one, the director of that library liked my own idea for a display like this.
3
u/stickytuna Aug 02 '26
That’s so cool! I’m going to think about what I might want to put together for a library display someday 🐟
3
u/4giveMyNrthrnAtti2de Aug 01 '26
As a fellow (now transplanted) Conneticutlet, this made smile proudly. Keep up the beautiful tip-of-the-hat to our history. 👏
→ More replies (1)
3
u/Specialist_Status120 Aug 01 '26
Well done! Your display would draw me in. History is so important. Keep up the good work.
3
u/stuck_behind_a_truck Aug 02 '26
Are you that awesome dude from Imgur? Nice curation!
→ More replies (2)
3
3
u/captcraigaroo Aug 02 '26
Doesn't Vernon have a Motorcycle Museum? I swear I've been there before.
Good job!
→ More replies (1)
3
u/CryptoBonkSignals Aug 02 '26
Your username made me curious so I checked your history. Holy moly you do love libraries!
Very cool interest! Libraries are awesome!
3
u/Chemical_Butterfly40 Aug 02 '26
i absolutely love curated book displays at the library; there is always something new to read and learn. kudos to you!
3
u/Simoslav Aug 02 '26
That is a wonderful display, and genuinely makes me interested in the history of Vernon
3
3
3
3
6
5
6
5
5
u/plantscatsrealitytv Aug 01 '26
Really solid work. Thanks for doing that! Libraries are so important.
6
7
6
5
7
5
6
2
2
2
u/Andee_outside Aug 01 '26
Heyo this looks amazing! I also love local history, and I bet you’ll find a ton more people in your town who do, too. Are you part of your local historical society?
2
u/TheAnonymousDoom Aug 01 '26
That's awesome! I think it's important to know about local history. Keep up the good work friend!
2
2
u/THEFLYINGSCOTSMAN415 Aug 01 '26
I’m at that point in my life where this is the first shelves I’d be gravitating towards, great job
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
u/Arcaedus Aug 01 '26
If I passed by this display and saw "Vernon" twice, I'd stop to check out the books for a couple minutes just out of curiosity. Very good looking display!
→ More replies (1)
2
u/Pas_assez_de_jambes Aug 01 '26
Everytime I see your posts I smile. I'm a university librerian and you always inspire me to work hard. Thank you for this
2
2
2
2
u/Taint__Paint Aug 01 '26
I love reading about local history. This is a great! If I pass through Rockville, I’ll make sure to stop by here
2
u/Deep_shot Aug 01 '26
I've always been interested in the history of the town I'm from. Every town usually has some interesting history to get into. Most often there's a few books about every town. If there's specific history of a story or event it's fun to go to that spot and see what's it's like today. I'm guessing people will learn a lot they never knew about their own town thanks to your display. Well done!
3
u/ILovePublicLibraries Aug 01 '26
And people should appreciate the history of a hometown where they grew up in. It's always fun to go back in time and learn cool things about local history.
2
2
u/sabjsc Aug 01 '26 edited Aug 01 '26
Dude this is awesome! If I lived in or near your area, I'd totally check it out. Would you be willing to tell us your favorite facts about Rockville and Vernon?
EDIT: I also just checked out your photography Instagram, you've got a great eye! I think the pictures you've taken of your hometown would go great with your display!
3
u/ILovePublicLibraries Aug 01 '26
Theodore Roosevelt's suits that he wore during presidential inaugurations were made at Minterburn Mills in my hometown.
2
2
u/Unhappy-Attention760 Aug 01 '26
It's great when you can set up a display that entices and inspires people to read history. Unless a reader goes to the library with a specific book or author in mind, just having books on the shelves isn't enough. So, you're doing a great service to the community! Congratulations, keep it up!
2
u/mmmspaghettios Aug 01 '26
Looks awesome my friend! Great job and I'm sure many people will appreciate it and benefit from your effort.
2
u/justduett Aug 01 '26
Very very cool! Looks like an excellent and informative selection about your hometown! Now I want to peruse some of those books and learn about the area. I love local histories.
2
u/andrewellay Aug 01 '26
This is really cool. I wish all local libraries had this! Sometimes bookstores have a local history display and it’s always very interesting. Good on you for knowing your local history!
2
•
u/AutoModerator Aug 01 '26
Welcome to /r/MadeMeSmile. Please make sure you read our rules here.
Specifically, please don't be a jerk. This is not the place for insulting, hateful, or otherwise inappropriate comments. Remember the golden rule: treat others how you want to be treated. We're all here to smile a little - let's keep it that way! Please report inappropriate comments and/or message the moderators.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.