This is a branch library in one of the poorer parts of an already depressed town, so they are wanting to use it as more of a free community activity center, and the community it’s in will need it.

The library is not gigantic. It was formerly a funeral home. But they did an amazing job fixing it up.

Some of the features this library has or will have soon:

  • A test kitchen with restaurant-grade equipment.
  • A workshop with a tool library for lending.
  • A clean-up room featuring a washer, dryer and shower free for use.
  • A playground and splash pad for kids.
  • A huge patio deck for reading, relaxing or whatever else you might want to do.
  • Just a pleasant place to hang out.

And, of course, the expected things like a children’s area, meeting rooms, a teen area, a small computer lab and a small collection of books and DVDs.

Before you start complaining about how “libraries don’t have books anymore!” The book stacks are still a 10-minute drive/bus ride away at the downtown branch. The books aren’t going anywhere. Libraries are more than just books. They are one of the few places the community can get all sorts of resources and a place to access them for free

  • Annoyed_🦀 @monyet.cc
    41·
    2 months ago

    I love how you include a cleanup space. Very cozy 3rd place for people to hangout. Good job dude!

    How do you continue to fund this though?

    • Flying Squid@lemmy.worldOP
      53·
      2 months ago

      Primarily funded through taxes, but even the local Republicans aren’t suggesting cutting the library budget. They’re pissed off about the clean-up room because “it will encourage them” (while also complaining about the smelly homeless people in the library), but they also know the library here is super popular. There was a “we love our library” yard sign they were doing a few years ago and they ran out of signs. They have a summer community book read and they did The Martian this year and ran out of free copies.

      Such a weird town. A lot of poor people, many of them without advanced education, but a lot of readers as well.

  • partial_accumen@lemmy.world
    31·
    2 months ago

    Every public library is a beacon of hope. Its the most true symbol of a civilized society. Each one brings light of knowledge where there would otherwise be darkness of ignorance.

    Please pass my thanks to your wife for advancing civilization.

  • fubarx@lemmy.ml
    29·
    2 months ago

    That looks awesome!

    A few tips, based on what has worked in our local libraries:

    • A story-reading space where parents or caregivers can bring infants and toddlers to listen to books being read outloud. Librarians, parents, and volunteers take turns as book readers. Hugely popular. Absolutely packed them in. One branch even built a hand-painted replica of the “Goodnight Moon” set.

    • A separate, private space for nursing mothers.

    • If the budget allows it, a phone charging station.

    • Space for common government forms. Applications for welfare, disability, voter, and tax forms. If you can get volunteers to help, even better.

    • Was going to mention tools, but see you already have it. In ours, you can check out shovels, saws, wrench sets, gardening tools, etc, to take home for a few days. It got so popular they had to move into their own space.

    We love our local libraries.

      • Flying Squid@lemmy.worldOP
        2·
        2 months ago

        That’s already generally a thing in libraries, thankfully. I used to go to get them from the library occasionally when I ran a sole proprietorship business (i.e. I was the only employee) in the 2000s.

  • TrueTomBombadil@lemmy.world
    22·
    2 months ago

    Obviously I love books and complaining about not enough books. But actually who cares. This is badass. Every bullet point cooler than the last. A kitchen? A workshop?? A shower and wash room?!

    Actually excellent. Congrats to your wife’s hard work!

  • Norrdec@lemmy.world
    20·
    2 months ago

    Just another wow post, make sure to tell her people from all over the world are grateful for her work:)

    • Flying Squid@lemmy.worldOP
      17·
      2 months ago

      I told her just before she left for work this morning about the positive responses she’s received from Lemmings and she was really happy about it. She has worked so hard on this and I’m so impressed with the results. It was the first time I’d seen the inside.

    • Flying Squid@lemmy.worldOP
      12·
      2 months ago

      Thanks, I read a bunch of comments to her this morning and I’ll read more to her when she gets home tonight.

  • NegativeNull@lemmy.world
    17·
    2 months ago

    Holy crap, that is a legitimately amazing place! Well done by Mrs. Squid!!

    P.S. Libraries rock and are true treasures

  • HarvesterOfEyes@piefed.socialEnglish
    17·
    2 months ago

    Before you start complaining about how “libraries don’t have books anymore!” The book stacks are still a 10-minute drive/bus ride away at the downtown branch. The books aren’t going anywhere. Libraries are more than just books. They are one of the few places the community can get all sorts of resources and a place to access them for free

    There’s always interlibrary loans. I’m sure you can search for a book on the online catalogue and ask for it to be transferred from another branch.

    Anyway, fantastic and very creative work. I wish I had a library like this near me growing up.

    • Flying Squid@lemmy.worldOP
      9·
      2 months ago

      You absolutely can. I’ve done it multiple times myself. Pretty much any public library (in the U.S. anyway) can do ILLs from what I understand.

  • nomous@lemmy.world
    13·
    2 months ago

    This is incredible and is going to be such a benefit to the community. Your wife is good people and the world truly needs more libraries and “third places” for everyone in a community to use and feel safe in regardless of their socioeconomic status or education or anything else.