Two times in one day? Yes, I’ll post twice if it matters and I’m sitting here way past my bedtime, writing about the library’s second lock-in. Though, this time we decided to change the scenery and work with our fabulous public library friends and host the lock-in after-hours in their space giving our high school students the opportunity to stretch their legs in their own backyards.

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With a few meeting and study rooms and two floors, our students were playing video games, watching a movie, playing card games, having dance parties, and (wait for it) sitting quietly and reading. Double points for the two girls sitting together and reading out loud to one another. I know, don’t you feel the library love when high school students who we are led to believe don’t read are sitting together and reading out loud? Several students got library cards. Some students interacted with others that they never would have in school. They played life-sized Connect 4 and some sat at the children’s tables and played chess. It was what they wanted to do, safely, and in a community space past most of the adult’s bedtime and they had a ball. The pizza and candy at the end didn’t hurt either.

Pictures were taken, memories were made because two entities decided to work together. Doesn’t collaboration look good? Two public librarians, two school librarians, and a few volunteers including parents and community members and it was a perfect Friday night in the library.