Fairfield library receives three awards

FAIRFIELD – The Fairfield Public Library is receiving awards hand over fist.

Library Director Alecs Schmidt Mickunas said he was already in a good mood after the library received two awards earlier this month, one for its environmental education programs and another for its creation of art programs. Then, Schmidt Mickunas was flabbergasted when he checked his inbox this week and learned that the library had received a third award, third one from the student government at Maharishi International University as a sign of its appreciation for the services the library provides to MIU students.

Schmidt Mickunas said he’s proud of the work he and his staff have done to expand the library’s offerings. Although the library continues to serve as a great place to check out books and other media, Schmidt Mickunas said his vision is for it to become a “library of things” by offering resources not typically associated with libraries. That includes giving patrons a chance to play musical instruments in the library’s former audio-visual room. Patrons can check out the library’s guitar, ukulele, stringed instruments, an electronic keyboard and soon, some percussion instruments as well.

“I think we see a need in the community, because for many years there was a music shop on the square called ‘Field of Dreams,’ and young people had a place to try out instruments. We don’t have that anymore,” he said. “A lot of young people get discouraged by the initial cost of purchasing an instrument. This way, they can try something out, and if they really like it, they can purchase their own.”

The Three Awards

The first award the library received in November was from the Southeast Iowa Chapter of the Sierra Club, a certificate honoring the library for environmental education programs. For instance, the library not only hosted but co-sponsored a Zoom seminar with entomologist Doug Tallamy in February, where Tallamy spoke about the need to remove invasive species and the importance of adding native plants to sustain food webs and help pollinators.

The library has hosted many other programs on environmental education in recent years, such as hosting author Chris Jones speak about his book “The Swine Republic” in May. The library participated in the Earth Day event “Protect Our Planet Fest” in April, too.

The second award came from the Fairfield Cultural Alliance, and was given to Schmidt Mickunas on behalf of the library for its creation and dedication to new art programs. One of those innovative programs is being developed now, and it will allow patrons to check out works of art for up to three months. Schmidt Mickunas said this program, called “Art to Go,” was inspired by his local library in his native Des Moines, which had a similar program, and the Iowa City Public Library, which allows art to be checked out. Schmidt Mickunas hopes that he can encourage the public to donate framed works of art that could then go into circulation.

The library and FCA are also in talks about collaborating on bringing an international music festival to Fairfield called the Make Music Festival.

“It’s an organization that encourages people around the world to celebrate live music every June,” Schmidt Mickunas said. “Our community would have small concerts at venues all over town, and small pop-up concerts as well. This is an initiative for this coming summer, and the library would host a concert, probably in our parking lot.”

The third award, which the library will receive on Dec. 10, is from the MIU Student Government. Schmidt Mickunas said the library has a great relationship with MIU, hosting guest lectures from the university’s business department, and collaborating on classes such as “Shut Up and Write,” hosted by the library and led by MIU Assistant Professor Mel McCuin.

Apart from formal lectures and classes, MIU students are frequent patrons of the library. Schmidt Mickunas said there are MIU students there all day, and that they especially like the library’s private study rooms so they can work in small groups without any distractions.

“I think they like the privacy of the study rooms, and they seem to be working on projects together” Schmidt Mickunas said.

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Call Andy Hallman at 641-575-0135 or email him at andy.hallman@southeastiowaunion.com

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