Linden Branch - Columbus Metropolitan Libraries

Today (1/9) I decided to visit the Linden Branch Library on Cleveland Ave. in South Linden—a Columbus neighborhood where major redevelopment plans are in the works. I hoped to get lunch relatively close to the library, but that proved difficult.  After turning north on Cleveland Ave. at 11th—where there was a Subway and a small cafe—the next mile and a half to the library was nearly devoid of restaurants. And this continued for another mile and a half north until I started seeing national chains in the vicinity of Northern Lights Shopping Center where the neighborhood's only grocery store had closed. In a moment of nostalgia, I ended up deciding to eat at Captain D’s Seafood. I have fond memories from 7-10 years ago of picking up fish dinners there to deliver to a dear friend and retired minister colleague who lived a couple of blocks behind the shopping center. (My lunch was quite good—blackened tilapia with coleslaw, steamed broccoli, a bread stick, and a Diet Coke all for only $4.99.)

When I got back to the Linden Branch a little before 1 pm, snow flurries were falling, and the parking lot beside the library was nearly full. Before going in,I walked out to the street to take a picture of the entrance and the sidewalk ramps.

Just inside the entrance, I was greeted by this wonderful sculpture of a person reading.

Proceeding on into the library, I was struck by the bright interior—with so much light coming from high banks of windows straight ahead to the north and also on both sides.  I also noticed that the library seemed surprisingly busy for an early Wednesday afternoon, with many young people gathered together as well as a number of older people using the computers. With so many people around I took fewer photos, trying to get shots either without people or where people would not be identifiable. (In the interest of privacy, have blurred out faces when they’re present.)

Past the shelves of new arrivals, there’s a large children’s area to the right with a double row of computers set aside for kid’s use as well as shelves of children’s books.
 

Farther back in the corner to the right is a Quiet Study Area.

 
 Fiction books are shelved all along the back wall and include a separate section of African American Fiction. The non fiction shelves extend out into the room. (The second photo is a view looking back towards the library entrance and the checkout desk.)

On the way in I’d found a promising book among the new arrivals (on the left below), and now I located one of the books from my Amazon “want list” on the fiction shelves.

Books in hand, I headed back up front to one of the orange chairs near the Magazines & Newspapers to read for a  while. Below is the view from my chair.

After about an hour and a half, I realized I ought to think about getting home to do some chores and then prepare dinner. But before checking out my two new books, I just had to go back and take a closer look at the carved wall hanging in the children’s section.

 All in all, it was a most pleasant way to spend a snowy Wednesday afternoon.