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By Laura Drinan
Hometown Weekly Reporter
Each month, the Wellesley Free Library will display a different collection in the exhibit cases leading into the Children’s Library. Oftentimes they are filled with vibrant and colorful pieces of art from the local schools, and sometimes they were exhibits curated by the librarians to spread information about the library’s services.
This month, a beautiful collection of gems and minerals sparkles under the lights behind the glass.
Rama K. Ramaswamy, who collected and arranged the exhibit, brought many of her own rocks and some borrowed jewelry to bring the informative display to life. As a geologist, Rama specialized in geo-microbiology, but has a long and broad background of studying geology and geochemistry.
The collection of gems and minerals at the Wellesley Free Library from Rama K. Ramaswamy includes malachite from Africa.
One of Rama’s goals was to inspire an interest in the gems and minerals. As she arranged the case, she also put out index cards with the information about the rocks. “I staggered my display arrangement by slowly adding components to it over a week or so and timed it for after school hours. The number of kids who stopped by when the cases were open and I was setting up was a surprising amount: [ten to] 20 kids every day,” she said. “It's an ideal setup to bring this kind of display to life.”
The collection included whole geodes, which simply appeared to be rocks. However, next to the whole geodes were half geodes, so that visitors could see the amazing minerals inside. In one of the cases, a three hundred million year old ammonoid fossil and a piece of granite were displayed, which contrasted sharply next to the agate and malachite jewelry.
“I also wanted to communicate the ‘curiosity’ for STEM by showcasing rocks and minerals in this way,” said Rama. “Some rocks look dull on the outside but might have minerals inside (geodes), and depending on the particular chemistry of a region, the same mineral (quartz) can have different colors. Minerals and rocks can be sliced up and used for many purposes.”
Rama K. Ramaswamy carefully arranged the exhibit cases to show an assortment rocks and tools, as well as books chosen by the library staff.
Inside the cases, books about rocks, gems, and minerals stood behind the variety of stones. “[The collection] is quite lovely,” said Elise MacLennan, the assistant director of the library. “The librarians chose the books that would pair well with the collection.” The cases also housed a microscope and a rock and mineral identification kit.
Before children enter the library, they are attracted to the unique collection of rocks, where they can learn a bit about the subjects on display. Perhaps as they leave the library with a book about geology, they’ll see a rock on the ground and wonder if they may have just stumbled upon one of the earth’s beautiful gems or minerals.
Note: Rama K. Ramaswamy is a contributor to Hometown Weekly.
