What makes a library beautiful?
Sep 8th, 2007 by Gideon Strauss
[Images.] (Hat tip Tyler Cowan.)
Strangely, none of the libraries I have loved are as ornate as those you’ll see if you follow the link above, and at least one of my favourite libraries was truly ugly, architecturally and decoratively speaking. I think a library, regardless of all other factors, becomes beautiful to me when it offers three things: (1) an opportunity to physically browse a large volume of books and magazines, and serendipitously discover worlds of reading previously unknown; (2) comfortable nooks and crannies for the relatively solitary enjoyment of my discoveries; (3) that old-fashioned calm and quiet murmuring that used to characterize libraries before they became bent on effortless accessibility to the aliterate.
And yet I still love our little local Locke Street branch library, which offers none of these three things, but is a welcome bookhaven for families with little children, a free internet café for otherwise unwired folk, and for me, a collection depot of books requested online – three minutes on foot from my front door.
Mmm, libraries…perhaps one of the best places on earth. The library experience is further enhanced for me with two other things added to it: 1) a delicious cup of coffee (of course in a sealed mug), and 2) when it is evening and raining and/or a light snowfall. For whatever reason that weather just makes the library all the more appealing to me.
On your three points, my local library does okay on 1, could be better on 2, and lacks on 3. RTS’ library does excellent on 1, quite good on 2, and excellent on 3. Architecturally, though, neither of them are very appealing.
What a great little post, G. Thanks for your love of books and buildings.
I am greatful, I think, that libraries are reaching out to those who might not be as academic or literary as the best (uh, that would be you and your fam) but you are honest and not unfair to not that there is an increasing lose of the bookishness of many libraries, as they host parties, offer free access to the internet, etc. One need not be an elitist or snob to want libraries to maintain the charm and serenity of which you speak.
Our oldest daughter, Stephanie, you may recall, works part time as a library at a local branch. Some of the shifts in library promotion, it seems, comes from not only a zealous concern to reach the unreached and seekers (ha!) but from funding matters. I am not sure how it is in your country, but here, the budget cuts are deep and serious. DVD rentals gets new patrons, coffee shops help turn a profit, and the quilting lessons get the folk to come in who might not otherwise. Attracting patrons and donors and finding ways for generating income is sadly a major part of most libraries these days.
Say: given your commitment to Kuyper’s theories of sphere sov, do you think it is wrong (or funky) for libraries to have bookstores in em? What about churches? Why or why not??
Anyway, I only wanted to say thanks, and say I’ll pass this post around to some book lovin’ friends. I’ve got a buddy who has been some research on a rare—very rare, he’s writing a book!—sort of archetectual design that appears in some libraries, built by the same teams in the early 1900′s. He’s even found the patent on the machine that made the wood that lead to this innovation, now long gone, and, interestingly, has found the best examples of it in a handful of small town libraries. Spectacular.
Alas, some of those places may not be known more for their building than their books. Still, it’s pretty cool.
Very nice post. We have some libraries not too far from us that are architecturally beautiful and offer at least 2 of the 3 criteria you mention above. While we enjoy the occasional foray to these, our favorite will always be our little, somewhat modernist neighborhood library. The reason? The librarians there know us by name now and we don’t even need to bring our cards. They pull out all of the books we have on hold as soon as they see walk in the door and are always friendly.
We lug huge canvas bags full of books out of there every week and always have a good experience. All of my kids look forward to it and it is largely due to the atmosphere created by the librarians.