Have Public Libraries Abandoned Their Original Purpose?

Do too many bells and whistles make it hard to read, study, and work at the library?

My neighborhood’s public library. Photo by author.

In 2019 residents of my neighborhood were invited on a tour of our branch library. It had been closed for two years for extensive renovations and modernization. Although it was one of the smaller city branches, with a public area of about 6000 square feet, it was an important fixture in our community. We’d missed it and were excited that we’d soon have it back.

What a tour it was! The remodel would turn it into a library for the 21st century.

• A podcasting lab would allow creators to make their own episodes in-house and seek the advice of a Creator-in-Residence.
• A cafe would serve food and there would be patio dining overlooking the river.
• A wide array of local experts would be tapped to give free public workshops on their areas of expertise. Everything from photography to dance to history would be covered.

Unfortunately, the last phases of construction pushed the library’s opening date to Spring 2020… and then, of course, COVID hit. It was 2022 before my neighborhood branch swung its doors open to the public.