A new, modern library brought memories of a traditional one...

The other day, a trip to the library turned into a stressful event.  My town opened a new library, 30,000 square feet, that became a daycare.  Non-working mothers would bring their children and set them loose, literally.  After a few days of trying to focus on my work by blocking out the noise, I decided to reserve a room.  Shortly after I sat down to study, an infant opened the door to the room and ran in, as the mother chased behind and grabbed him. 

The library also built a playground and an indoor kids’ section.  Still, children roamed the library, talking loudly as if they were at a party.  I complained to the staff, who told me I could reserve a room.  Why, I thought, doesn't the staff quieten the patrons? 

The library's atmosphere was that of a sterile, corporate building with floor-glass walls and few tables to sit and work.  The parking was the most amusing.  Most of the parking spaces were a good block away.  There were many complaints on Google about the noise.

The new library even built an outdoor jungle gym for the kids.  A jungle gym in a library?  The admin’s response was that the library caters to the population in the area.  The town I live in has many of what I call 'young Tesla moms.'  This library was designed with a specific patron type in mind. 

The design ostracized many patrons from visiting because of the long walk from the bus stop and limited nearby parking.  One senior told me he didn’t understand why they created the parking in such a way as to make it hard for seniors and the disabled to visit.  He parked in the 15-minute parking spot and left.  The playground and jungle gym area could have been a parking lot. 

To go to a better place, I remembered my trip to the main branch of the New York Public Library, the one with the two marble lions in front.  It’s the famous Schwartzman Building, on 42nd Street and 5th Avenue.  I walked up the stairs and was greeted by a librarian who directed me to the periodicals room.  There, I looked through the New York Times for jobs.  It was a quiet room where all I could hear was the sound of newspaper pages turning.  That's how libraries should be, I thought.

The Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, built in 1911, is a research center with millions of items that library patrons can access.  Items include old manuscripts, Japanese scrolls, contemporary novels, and poetry.  The materials range from the far politically left to the right.  You can rebuild your family tree using Milstein Division of U.S. History, Local History, and Genealogy records.  Patrons can use the Rose Main Reading Room for research and quiet study.  You can book tickets online to join their docent-led building tours.

 ~N. Acharya