Overload

Happy Girl Kitchen's Cafe

Better looking than an Instagram photo, and way better than conference food, Happy Girl Kitchen delivered a sensual feast this afternoon. It was a combination of enjoyable factors: hip music, real food, and the warm welcome from Jordan* during our visit.

Preserving and serving food is the focus at Happy Girl Kitchen. The big, open kitchen gives depth to the space and the store is dotted with displays and information about preserving and enjoying food.

In an article in the local food magazine, Edible Monterey Bay, Jordan writes, “ Today’s world seems to be moving at a faster and faster pace. We are inundated with information and choice and bombarded with stimulation.” Exactly how I feel at the end of a superb but intellectually taxing conference.

the kitchen

Information overload sneaks up on you. One moment you’re at the top of your game, learning new techniques, trying on new ideas. The next moment it feels like the little nubs on the picture puzzle are missing  - and all the pieces are shifting and moving – and you struggle to hold it all together.

Soul-satisfying comfort is my antidote: a replenishing meal, a good read, or a quiet space in the library. We actively seek balance during times of overload. And although it never occurred to me until it was pointed out at this Internet Librarian conference: libraries offer opportunities for both overload and solace. Computers, Internet, photocopiers, and study rooms, but also quiet spaces- window seats, overstuffed chairs, views of trees and mountains. And while these opposites do not define a library, because a library is so much more, it speaks to the versatility of the institution and its responsiveness to the needs of its users.

*Jordan Champagne is co-owner and founder of Happy Girl Kitchen.

-Mrs. Eldridge