If Libraries Were Princesses...
Published on January 21, 2025
By Emily H.
*Record Scratch*
Hello, blog supervisor popping in to bring you this important message about ©Disney•Pixar princesses. Okay, so maybe it’s not the most vital communication I’ve written, but when our social media team discussed our 2024 Wrapped posts, I made the comment “Our branches are like Disney princesses,” and I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it. So, even though I don’t usually write blog articles, I’m busting in like the KOOL-AID® Man to tell you which location I have assigned which princess and to share some lesser-known facts about our family of locations in the process.
The Rules
So many princesses have starred in movies. However, not all are official princesses. To be a TRUE ©Disney•Pixar princess, she must have had a coronation ceremony at Magic Kingdom Theme Park©. There are 13 official princesses: Snow White, Cinderella, Aurora, Ariel, Belle, Jasmine, Pocahontas, Mulan, Tiana, Rapunzel, Merida, Moana, and Raya. There are 13 Siouxland Libraries branches PLUS a bookmobile. That’s not enough princesses.
So, I decided the county branches could share. Since some of those branches are so small, we divide them into two groups: Rural East and Rural West. The Bookmobile is overseen by Rural West, but I decided to separate it for this list because it’s so unique.
Also, I’m only considering originals – no sequels, no live-action remakes.
Let’s begin!
Oak View
First up, the branch that inspired this post: Oak View. Did you know creatures great and small love to visit Oak View? Just during my time there, I saw:
- deer looking in the window
- a bat INSIDE
- a lost dog (we kept him safe until he could be picked up)
and
- a snake.
Since I left, there have also been reports of rabbits in sheds; turkeys on the patio; more lost dogs, bats, deer, and snakes; spiders; squirrels; crows; and a furry brown cat that hangs out in the parking lot. Clearly, Oak View is Snow White of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. She is a friend to all creatures, just like Oak View.
Downtown
The Downtown Library, located in the heart of Sioux Falls, is within walking distance of amazing restaurants. We also have wonderful team potlucks. My favorite theme was soup. Soup everywhere! A dream come true! So who better for Downtown than the great chef and dreamer, Tiana, of The Princess and the Frog? She would enjoy the delicious food and get inspiration from our shelves of cookbooks.
Ronning
I have a soft spot for the Ronning Branch. It’s where I started my library career. Since I’ve left, it’s become our busiest branch, circulating thousands of materials each month. Who better for Ronning than the patron princess of all bookworms, Belle, of Beauty and the Beast. All Ronning needs to make this official is a rolling ladder to swoosh down. (Is one in our budget, by chance? If not, it should be. Please?)
Prairie West
Did you know that Prairie West has a TOWER?! I do, because I had to climb it.
A repairman got locked out on the roof. Instead of someone calling up to him, “Let down your hair!”, he called “HELP!” down to a customer. She told me, “There’s a guy on your roof yelling.” I went outside, and a ridiculous conversation ensued. I learned that the door automatically locked behind him and he forgot the key. I asked if I could just toss the key up to him. “Just go up the ladder,” he said. I was not excited about that because the ladder was high, and my clogs were not appropriate for climbing. But climb it I did. So of course, Prairie West is Rapunzel of Tangled.
Caille
The only City branch at which I have not officially worked! Caille has undergone quite the transformation over the years. It started out small, with an addition in 2002 and a remodel in 2016. Now, like Cinderella’s dress, it’s new, beautiful, and perfect! Therefore, Caille is Cinderella.
The Bookmobile
The Bookmobile is busy, going to outreach events, schools, daycares, and more. It puts on about 7,000 miles a year! If only it could fly, like Aladdin’s magic carpet. That’s why the Bookmobile is Jasmine.
Rural East
According to Google Maps and my below-average navigation skills, it would take 44 minutes and 31.8 miles to travel from Brandon to Valley Springs to Garretson to Baltic. I personally don’t have much experience driving through the county, so I could definitely use some wayfinding help from Moana (and/or Google) to get me from branch to branch. Therefore, Rural East is Moana.
Rural West
To travel from Humboldt to Hartford to Crooks to Colton, it would take 43 minutes and 31.6 miles. (It was a tight race to see who would get to be Moana, but Rural East eked it out by 0.2 miles.) Because Rural West has many “family members,” if you will, it is Princess Ariel, because she has many sisters (Attina, Alana, Adella, Aquata, Arista, and Andrina.) Did you hear "Daughters of Triton," the fantastic song introducing Ariel in The Little Mermaid, in your head when you read that? I hope so.
Thank you for being a part of this journey with me. Now back to our regularly scheduled blogging.