I decided to visit the Dublin Branch of the Columbus Metro Libraries (CML) this week so I could see it in its temporary location before it moves into its new building this June. The former Dublin Branch on N. High St. in Dublin was one of the most heavily used of the CML branches, and the new one at the same location will be twice as large at about 41,000 square feet on three floors plus a parking garage. In the meantime the temporary location is in an empty storefront in the Dublin Center shopping area on the west side of Sawmilll Road.
Since I often go to stores and restaurants in the area, it was a bit of a challenge to find a place for lunch I hadn’t been to before. I ended up choosing The Revelry Tavern, which is the closest place to the library, just around the corner from it in the same set of buildings. It’s pretty much a typical sports bar and grill, and I got a very good double cheeseburger and fries at the bar. Unfortunately I was a day late to get it as the Wednesday special for just $5.
After lunch, I headed over to the library. Its temporary nature is apparent in the large single room with industrial style ceiling.
Just inside the entrance is a model of the new library, and there’s a large architect’s rendering displayed on the far wall.
Just past the small circulation desk, a wall of shelves for reserve pickup books indicates that this location is still heavily used by people requesting books from the CML system.
The library offers children’s programming in an area to the right of the entrance that is surrounded by shelves of books for children.
The ball and maze setup for kids looks like fun. A couple of younger children were playing at it most of the time I was in the library, so it took me a while to get a photo of it without the children.
The library has a limited number of public computers for adults and for children. I expect the new library will have many more.
There’s a nice Homework Help Center in the far right corner.
There aren’t a lot of books in the library, but of course patrons can use the internet to request books and other materials from the entire CML system for pickup at this branch. I browsed the section of new books just to the left inside the entrance (below left) and then the entire collection of fiction and nonfiction books (shown below right), and I succeeded in finding 2 books on my Amazon want list.
Then it was time to find a comfortable spot to sit and read. There are chairs all around the library, but I was most drown to the tables and chairs up near the front where the windows provided lots of light on this sunny day. It was fun to look up and watch the children playing.
After reading for about 90 minutes, it was time to check out my two books and head for home, but not before a visit to the library’s fish tank. I’d been unsuccessful so far in finding the new Lee Child book on the shelves of the last few libraries I visited, but they had 3 copies here. Yay!
I’m looking forward to visiting the new Dublin Branch Library at some time after its grand opening this coming June 6.
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