Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

By James Gardner

Clark County Public Library

I love libraries, and working at a library is about the best job in the world. It’s even better than working at Disney World and wearing the Mickey Mouse costume because, in the library, there’s literally no danger here of getting steam-cooked in a giant mouse costume by the Florida heat. Plus, there’s books. I can’t forget about the books.

While being around books is one of the main perks of the job, another is the fact that the library is all about organization. The world outside this building can seem like a chaotic mess, but inside the library, should you want a book, a movie, or a cake pan, you simply look up where it is in the catalog, go to that place on the shelves, and then get the item. Getting an item at the library is as convenient as getting a bag of chips from the vending machine, and it doesn’t even cost your pocket change.

There is something inherently comforting about working in a clean and orderly workspace. It’s something I strive for, though I don’t always achieve it. Which is why I’m glad that National Clean Your Desk Day (Jan. 8th) has once again rolled around to give me the impetus to get some organizing done.

Sadly, though I work in a place that requires things to be organized, I am not as organized as I’d like to be. I have a desk where I work, but it is not the pristine and ordered ideal in my mind. Books that I have to fix pile up on it, as well as order cards for books that I order. That’s not even counting the personal touches (the tchotchkes, the water bottle, etc.) Though I have reached a spot where I typically don’t have to struggle to find book tape or lamination paper, I always feel like I could do more. And then I think about my home office. And then I want to wail into the void. Or at least do a teen-angsty moan teens give when encountering a chore that must be done or a dad joke that must be tolerated.

My home office is a disaster because it has become the household dumping ground for Christmas ornaments and books (Okay, lots of books). It is a project that is always in the back of my mind, but this is the season for resolutions and the library has resources that can help me follow through. Whether it’s Judi Culberson’s “The Clutter Cure: Three Steps to Letting Go of Stuff, Organizing yourSpace, & Creating the Home of Your Dreams”(648.8 Culb) or Marie Kondo’s “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: the Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing”(648 Kond), the library has plenty of books and resources that can help you clean your desk, your closet, or even the office that has become the makeshift repository of your home’s excess stuff. The books should be where the call numbers say, but if you can’t find them or are just looking for more, just ask a friendly librarian. Now’s the time to resolve to be organized.

Was that a dad joke?

Anyway, in between cleaning off your desks, check out these programs:

On Tuesday, Jan. 9th, at 6 p.m., Ron Kibbey’s Comedy Classics features a 1946 movie set in post-WWII Casablanca. Groucho is the new manager of a classy hotel where the previous managers have all been poisoned by a scheming villain trying to get to stolen treasures hidden in the hotel by the Nazis. Chico and Harpo are there to assist and protect the manager. Preceded by a Bugs Bunny cartoon. Refreshments provided!

On Wednesday, Jan. 10th, at 2 p.m., the Kentucky Picture Show features a 2020 movie starring Toni Collette. With no experience, small-town bartender Jan convinces her neighbors to chip in their meager earnings to help raise racehorse Dream in the hopes he can compete with the racing elites. Rated PG (1 hour 53 min).

On Sunday, Jan. 14th, at 1 p.m., the Winchester Fiber Arts offer a creative space at the library where all fiber arts are welcome. This includes crochet, spinning, needlepoint, embroidery, cross stitch, quilting, weaving, rug hooking, etc. Bring a project to work on. Beginners welcome!

Would you like to lead the Clark County Public Library into the future as a Trustee on the Library Board? If you’re interested and would like more information, download an application at https://www.clarkbooks.org/trustee. If you have questions call or email Angela Turner, (859) 744-5661/aturner@clarkbooks.org. Applicants must be residents of Clark County. All Applications are due by Jan. 31st, 2024.