When we think of the library, we think of books awaiting us on the shelves—but the New Berlin Public Library in Wisconsin is here to remind us that public libraries contain so much more.
This library in particular contains a "Library of Things," in which the public can access otherwise expensive items for free, like boardgames, learning resources, and even Halloween costumes.
But this library is also packed with wit and humor, as demonstrated by several librarians at New Berlin. In a dry humor skit, two librarians stand in front of the check-in desk, preparing to do the "Trust Fall" game.
One librarian leans back for the trust fall, and instead of catching her, the other librarian steps away and says:
"You can't trust everybody, but you can trust the New Berlin Public Library to give you access, for free, to hundreds of books, great programming, and resources."
The screen then flips to the other librarian fallen on the floor, while a third librarian who was manning the checkout desk appears stressed, looking down at her.
You can watch the video here:
Viewers found the skit to be hilarious, and viewers from all around the world started following the Wisconsin-based library.
@newberlinlibrary/Instagram
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@newberlinlibrary/Instagram
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The video soon went viral on other platforms, as well, including Twitter (X).
One question that kept coming up was whether or not the fallen librarian, Susan, was okay.
It seemed obvious enough that Susan had been part of the skit and that the skit was all in good fun, but it was unclear to some whether or not Susan had actually fallen.
In a response video, the library reassured the crowd that no Susans had been harmed in the making of the video.
Susan had not actually fallen and had, in fact, gone right back to work, serving the public library after the video was recorded.
You can watch the response video here:
After the video went viral all over the world, the staff at the New Berlin Public Library hoped that this meant something good, not just for them, but for public libraries everywhere, telling TMJ4 News:
"We've been getting emails from everywhere, like Australia and the Philippines."
"A lot of the comments are like, 'Wow, I need to go back to my library!' which is the coolest thing."
"This is why we do anything that we do, so I kind of hope this is just a big victory for libraries everywhere."
You can watch the video here:
This may have begun as a funny joke among librarians, ensuring that the public can trust them with the resources that they need and the books they want to read most, but this short video has grown to be so much more.
While this singular video will not remain viral forever, it's a great reminder to everyone of what awaits them at their public library if they only take the time to visit.
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