The library has a water feature and people have expressed an interest in putting real fish in the pool. While the librarians like fish, there are some reasons that the water feature can't house live fish. First, the water is chlorinated and will kill them. Second, there is no temperature control. Sometimes the water is rather warm, and sometimes it’s rather chilly. Most ornamental types of fish can’t handle the temperature swings. Also, there’s no filter in the system, so things could get quite messy. The water is drained and the pool cleaned once per year. Finally, some people like to throw things at fish. So, we don’t have fish in the library water feature.
The water feature, with its fountains, was put in the entryway to the library for aesthetic purposes, but also to provide white noise so the library seems to be a quieter place. The librarians have “decorated” the pools with cobbles for the bottom, artificial floating fish (many of which have broken over the years, and we’re having a difficult time finding replacements), rosin turtles, and artificial lotuses. There is even a rubber duckie who calls the water feature home.
The librarians want patrons to enjoy the pool. Most simply look at the decorations and the fountains, but others have chosen to get more involved. Two students once turned the water feature into a fishing pond. They brought lawn chairs and fishing poles and set up shop for a bit. Alas, they left with no fish.
Also, since the tank is only drained and cleaned once per year, any accidental swimmers should be sure to wash off carefully.
Feel free to come to the library and enjoy our water feature, just don’t get mad when we don’t want to get live residents.
