Penguins and decorating

Part of the Ground Floor of the Library flooded due to a collapsed drain and heavy rains experienced by Portsmouth on Monday.

The IT Helpers quickly moved all the printers (and anything electric) away from the rising tide and the Estates Team battled to contain the flood.

Pablo hopped from one dry foot to the other (he’s a penguin with a lot of worldly experience) somewhat anxious over the computers and books, but Pip, his work experience assistant, decided to wildly splash about in the waters in the office work area. Pip was quickly sent to go clean up as this was not tap water!

Just thinking of all the work necessary to clean up, replace carpet tiles, and get everything back in order made Pablo’s head swim! But he knows the Library will rally in time for the crush of returning students. It also make Pablo think about how he would recover from flooding in his own abode. Which led our intrepid penguin into the realm of interior decorating….

Of course, Pablo’s favourite book publisher is Penguin Books (what else? Pablo is a very literate penguin after all). And luckily, Pablo discovered this webpage with a lot of home décor accents featuring the Penguin Books penguin.

Was he smitten? Was he ever!! Hours later, Pablo has been able to determine that he wants the Classic Penguin wall paper, Classic Penguin book cover art (posters are probably more in his financial line), coffee mug (maybe Mischief by Charlotte Armstrong? Or A Common Reader by Virginia Woolf?), deck chairs, notebooks, book bags/tote bags, water bottle, journals (how better to record his library experience?), travel bag (for excursions to other libraries), phone cover (penguins have to stay in touch), ipad cover, tee shirts, drinks flask, key ring, luggage tag (for all that travelling), passport holder (ditto), jewellery, cuff links, tie pin (wait – what?), board game, tea towels, etc. It’s amazing how one book publisher can create such a demand for housewares and accessories just with their logo! But then maybe that’s not surprising….

Unfortunately for Pablo, Penguin Books UK no longer sells its iconic merchandise from its homepage, leaving poor Pablo to traipse (virtually) across a lot of internet looking for items to purchase (but Penguin Group Australia apparently sells some stuff). So if you see a sudden increase in penguin-themed interior décor in the Library, you know who to blame! And you may spot Pablo reading some of these Penguin Books titles! Pip of course, will be reading Puffin Books from the public library for his summer reading programme.