Library is continuing the Suspended Diary Project

The Decorah Public Library is continuing the Suspended Diary Project, an effort designed to encourage patrons and other NE Iowans to look more closely at the natural world around them and share their observations and thoughts with others.

The project is creating an unconventional book. The "spine" of the book is a graceful sumac branch, about 6 feet long. The "pages" are long slender "tags," similar to what goes on your luggage for traveling. The pages hang by an eyelet hole and various lengths of string from the branch. Once attached the tags become "talking leaves", in much the same way that books were to many North American indigenous people unfamiliar with printed communication.

Blank diary tags ("pages") are available in the library to anyone in the Decorah area wishing to participate, including those only passing through. When completed, they can be returned by mail or dropped off at any time, through the end of May. They will be added to the suspended journal in the order that they arrive. Toward mid-June, the branch will shed its spring identity and new summer musings will be welcome.