I decided to drive down to Grove City this morning because a good friend had highly recommended a little restaurant close to the Grove City Library. (In addition, since we’re supposed to get wind chills of minus 25-25 degrees the next couple of days, those would be good days to stay home by the fireplace.) Heading southwest on Broadway in Grove City, the impressive two-story library is on the right.
Across the street from the library and southwest a block or so is Lilly’s Kitchen Table.
It was about 11:15 am—fairly late for breakfast and a bit early for lunch—so there weren’t a lot of people in the place. There’s an open area with table seating just inside the door and then a counter and booths going toward a couple of tables in the back. I had what they called their Big Breakfast—2 eggs, bacon, hash browns and 2 pancakes—and it was all great.
Well
satisfied, I headed back up the street to the library. As striking as
it is from the outside, the inside is every bit as striking, with its
rippled ceiling and a very large children’s area, labeled “Harper’s
Grove.”
Straight ahead I could see all
the way to the circulation desk and beyond, with a long opening above
to let more natural light into the center of the library (below left).
And turning around, I was impressed by the expansive two-story atrium
reading area with all its windows and a dramatic staircase (below
right).
I headed down to the rear entrance to return some books, and from there I could look back the length of the library’s first floor.
This is a new library, opened late in 2016, and according to the library website its 48,000 square feet allowed for double the public space of the previous library as well as a major expansion of the children's area (below left), an early literacy section, and a teen room (below right).
The brightly lit reading area near the fiction section on the first floor looks especially inviting.
After browsing for a while, I headed upstairs to where mysteries and science fiction are shelved. At the top of the stairs I found study rooms and lots of computers for public use.
There are also great views
overlooking the first floor—the atrium space, the children’s section,
and the light well looking down at the center aisle of the first floor.
I explored a number of possible places to sit and read—like the grouping of chairs at the far end of the second floor (below left) and at the far end of the nonfiction stacks (below right).
While exploring, I noted a Board Room along with several more study rooms.
But the space I found most
inviting for reading was the quiet reading room with a fireplace and
views down onto Broadway. There were instructions posted on where to inquire
about getting the fireplace lighted, but the room was plenty warm. So as
soon as I had found some books to borrow, I settled in there for a
couple of hours reading.
Eventually it was time to go
check out my three “finds” of the day. Only the Jo Nesbo book was on the
“want list” I had with me. The other two were on the new books display.
On my way back to my car, I stopped to read a bronze historical plaque on the empty building right across Broadway from the library. It notes how the first public library in Grove City was organized there by the Women’s Civic Club.
Today I decided to check out a library I didn’t even know existed until I began my retirement project to visit all the public libraries in the metro Columbus area. Oddly enough, it’s the nearest library to where I’ve lived for more than 18 years—namely, the Lane Road Branch that of the Upper Arlington Public Library system. It’s on Lane Road (NOT Lane Ave.), one block west of Reed Road. It's only a little over 2 miles from my home.
The closest restaurants to this library are along Henderson Road, where my family and I have eaten many meals out. So in the interest of picking a “neighborhood restaurant,” I chose Neighbor's Deli, where I enjoyed a really great BLT with an abundance of bacon.
I’ve only driven on Lane Road occasionally, and I’d never noticed the library before. It sits on the south side of the road in Thompson Park with its back to the road, and there’s only a modest wood sign indicating the library. The library entrance is off a large parking lot on the far side of the building from the road.
Upon entering, I proceeded straight ahead to the circulation desk to return some books and to let the librarians know I would be taking pictures.
To the left (west) is an area with computers, shelves for nonfiction books, and racks for periodicals. At the far end is a nice corner with comfortable chairs for reading.
Turning around, I headed back toward the circulation desk past the people working at the computers.
At the east end of the library are a great many shelves for fiction books, music CDs, movie & television DVDs, and both fiction and nonfiction books recorded on CD. I was struck by some of the differences here from the two libraries I visited last week and the week before. Compared to the Linden and the Driving Park branches of the Columbus Metropolitan Library, both of which are in distressed urban neighborhoods, this Upper Arlington library in a well-to-do suburban neighborhood had a great many more books and other circulating materials while having quite a bit fewer computers. Socioeconomic factors are clearly at work here as libraries respond to the interests and needs of their community.
Near the library entrance, a lovely rug hangs above stairway that goes down to the library’s Youth Department and a large meeting room on the lower level.
To the left at the bottom of the stairs is a large area for children with toys, games, books, and computers.
Announcements for some of the library’s many programs for youth and children are posted on a bulletin board—activities such as storytimes, craft programs, and baby and toddler sensory play.
To the right at the bottom of the stairs is the large meeting room, where a storytime for children had everyone's attention.
Once back upstairs, I searched the shelves for books on my Amazon wish list—newly revised since I’ve checked out and read so many from my original list over the past 12 weeks. Finding a couple, I settled into a chair by a north window in a little nook surrounded by shelves of DVDs.
The book I’m currently reading, The Library: A Catalog of Wonders by Stuart Kells, a celebration of libraries and books as places and objects of beauty and wonder.
After a wonderful reading time of 90 minutes or so, I headed back to the circulation desk to check out the two books I’d found.
Before leaving the library, I got distracted by the shelves of books offered for sale by Friends of the Library. I ended up buying a like-new hardcover copy of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child for $2 to add to my collection of Harry Potter hardcovers.
As I left the library, I passed by the dedication plaque from 1975 and then stepped out into Thompson Park. Today was snowy and cold, but I could readily imagine returning here on some warm spring day to check out some books and go read in the park.
