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By James Ensor
Hometown Weekly Reporter
In the Children’s Room of the Wellesley Free Public Library, the first things someone entering the spacious area could hear were singing voices and the strumming of small fingers on ukuleles. This was the sound of the Ukulele Office Hours that have become a regular occurrence in this part of the library.
During the rainy afternoon of Tuesday, August 2, kids came and went freely during the 4 p.m. - 5 p.m. office hour, allowing parents a chance to get the kids out of the house for an educational and entertaining hour. Of course, the positive externalities of these ukulele hours being located in the library cannot be ignored; both parents and kids get their feet in the doors of the library and are much more likely to find books and other programs they enjoy.
“I launched them with a more traditional group lesson format, where we met 4 times for a half hour in the three week checkout period, ending in a small recital,” said Emma Caywood, the librarian who brought the ukulele to the Wellesley library. “We did this twice, and it was really fun. But as summer approached, we knew that meeting 4 times in a row wasn't going to work for families that travel, and I also didn't want to limit the program to beginners. So, being in a university town, we thought of the idea of office hours.”
This proved to be an inspired move, with 8-12 kids who regularly attend, along with others who have the opportunity to simply drop in if they happen to be there. “The ukuleles are new to us here, and we're still trying to feel it out, but I have no desire to stop this program in the near future. But we'll see if the interest continues when school starts,” said Emma.
Why the ukulele? “At my last library in New York, I kept a ukulele at my desk that I played during story time. I had various kids who would come in and borrow it, taking it off to the corner of the children's room to practice, and sometimes they'd ask me for help,” informed Emma. “And there’s also something to be said for the plastic strings being softer on your fingers and having only four strings to match your four fingers.”
Emma Caywood’s program seemed to be a smashing success, and it looks as if the strumming of ukuleles will continue to be heard in Wellesley.
