Perpetually lost in a good book

The setting seems to inspire tranquility.

Water tumbles down a rock garden into a waiting pool. Stone benches are arranged in the shade of the building. Flowers and plants almost hide it from view.

And on rocks above the water, two figures are reading. The sculptures depict a boy sitting cross-legged on a rock, while a girl lounges on her stomach, engrossed with her story.

The Greenwood Public Library has created a niche to the right of its main entrance. Intended as a tribute to a longtime library patron, it can be easy to overlook as people hurry in for group meetings, community events or to return books.

But for those who know it’s there, it can be a welcome respite in an otherwise busy day, reference librarian Sara O’Sha said.

“It’s a popular place to relax outside with people,” she said. “They sit right on the bench in front with the waterfalls.”

The garden was built as a memorial to W.J. “Bill” Fisher, a Greenwood resident who frequented the library daily. He loved the outdoors as well as reading. After his death in 2007, his family came up with the idea to put in a garden at one of his favorite community places, the library.

A waterfall was installed in the fall of 2008, and landscaping was arranged around to form a sort of oasis. Stone benches were set up to give people a place to sit and relax.

The statues were added later that year. Cast in bronze, the figures are meant to represent Fisher’s lifelong love of learning. Though they weren’t specially commissioned, they seemed to fit in with what Fisher loved about the library, O’Sha said.

The figures are simple in design — two children relaxing with their books. But the whole scene fits together with the waterfall and plants, O’Sha said.

Many people know about the waterfall and stream, but most don’t look closely enough to pay attention to the statues, she said.