I specifically decided to visit the Main Library during the Christmas season so I could be sure to see the Huntington Holiday Train on display in the first floor Atrium of the library. The layout is truly impressive at 600 square feet with three trains on 280 feet of track, a village with a 6-ft tall cathedral and 8-ft tall castle, and a river with a 600 gallon per minute waterfall.
But oh, this library is so much more. Dedicated as a Carnegie Library in 1907, it was expanded greatly in 1991, and then in 2016 it received a $35 million renovation. From the street you can see the the grand architecture of the original Carnegie Library building. Original staircases are visible inside the oldest part of the building.
This library was one of my children’s favorite places growing up. We’d make special trips downtown, and they’d check out dozens of books at a time. (I was more likely to browse in the Friends of the Library store and end up buying books.) As in the past, I parked in the Library’s underground parking garage—free for the first hour and 50¢ and hour for each of the next two hours—and took the elevator up to the library. Entering from the garage is not nearly as impressive as from the street, but stepping around from the elevator into the 3-story Atrium space created in the 2016 renovation is eye-popping. The photo below is from the third floor looking west toward the back of the original Carnegie Library building. This space can be used for special events as well as displays.
The Children’s section is still on the right, but much expanded with a more open feeling. And it was good to see the "Blackberry Patch" murals by Aminah Robinson were still on display on the staircases.
The library is so very open, with glass walls everywhere letting in natural light and allowing views of the Columbus skyline to the west. The 2-story Reading Room on the second floor is especially airy with views toward the Old Deaf School Park and its Topiary Garden to the east and the Christo Rey Columbus High School building immediately to the south.
I ended up reading for an hour and a half in the green chair to the farthest right of the left hand photo above. With my back to the Christo Rey building, I had a great view of two floors of book shelves.
But before sitting down to for some reading, it was time for me to explore the stacks in search of a book or three from my Amazon Wish List. Unlike many libraries, the shelves are low-profile, shorter than most adults are tall, which allows for bright, unobstructed views of the entire room. You can see in the second photo below that the stacks hold more than just books (musicians take note).
Further exploration revealed how the library is so much more than a collection of books and other media—including a computer area, meeting and study rooms, an art gallery, and even a cafe.
And the plaza at the back of the library had me thinking of how nice it would be to get a snack and read outside on a warm spring day. (Unfortunately today’s temperature was a chilly 33° F.)
I did consider having a late lunch at Carnegie’s Cafe, but I’d read about a nearby diner called Jack’s Diner that was struggling because of the construction scaffolding in the alleys surrounding the Rhodes Tower state government office building. Jack’s has been in business in various downtown locations for something like 42 years. So I thought I might take my lunch business there. But first, one last stop at the Huntington Holiday Train.
Indeed, Lynn St. and Pearl Alley looked more than a little cave-like and uninviting, and the entrance to Jack’s Diner was shrouded in scaffolding.
But once inside this traditional old-school diner, I found the service to be quick and friendly. And the food—a double cheese burger ($4.55) with a side of hash browns ($2.25)—was pretty darn good. The lemon meringue pie was tempting, but I resisted.
All in all it was a great way to spend part of a sunny but cold Ohio day, and I headed home looking forward to reading my three “finds” from the Columbus Main Library.
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