As I have shared about my retirement project to visit all 53 of the public libraries in the metro Columbus region, people have frequently asked if I’d visited the new Martin Luther King Branch library yet. So today I decided to make it number 16. This newest of the CML branch libraries was dedicated on Oct. 18, 2018 by Martin Luther King III. The library replaces what was the first library in the country named in honor of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., which was just a few blocks east on Long St. That library was dedicated in 1969 by Martin Luther King, Sr.
I try to have lunch somewhere near whichever library I’m visiting, so I did a little research and came up with the Creole Kitchen nearby on Mt. Vernon Avenue. I ended up eating at a small table on the take-out side of the establishment as the family dining room had been booked for an event. It was hard to chose from the extensive menu of jambalayas, étoufées, and other offerings like fried oysters, fried gator, and various Po Boys, In the end, an excellent chicken & andouille sausage jambalaya hit the spot, and the modest surroundings did not take one bit away from my enjoyment of it.
After lunch I headed for the library, which sits on the southwest corner of Taylor Ave. & Long St.—pretty much between East High School to the south and The Ohio State University Hospital East to the north. The building is visually striking architecturally with all the glass walls—especially when coming down Taylor Ave. from the north.
I entered from the parking lot on Taylor Ave. south of the library, and my initial sense was of a large bright and open space, with book shelves in the foreground and computers on beyond.
I walked by the meeting rooms along the lefthand wall until I got to the computers. On the left below is a view of the computers with the children’s area off to the left and the teen area straight ahead. On the right is the view looking back toward the wall of windows near the Taylor Ave. entrance and a raised reading room area in the distance.
Here are some of the meeting rooms along that left wall, starting with the area dedicated to Homework Help and College & Career Readiness.
I really enjoyed exploring the children’s space with its Story Time area and Ready for Kindergarten area.
There are also areas with computers and other technology for the kids.
The teen area was next in my wandering—a large space with computers, comfy chairs, and books and other media (not pictured).
At this point the librarian who had welcomed me at the circulation desk came and found me so I would be sure to note some the art works on the walls, most especially the large Martin Luther King Mural including the names of everyone who had donated more than $50 to building the new library. (Indeed I may well have failed to notice those.)
I was especially taken by two painting by Columbus artist Aminah Robinson—one in the reading room depicting an “Eastside Library” at Long & Taylor and the other of “Sweetie” in one of the Study Rooms.
The librarian also pointed out the collection of African objects that are special to this branch. Most of them are in glass cases near the front windows. Here are photos of some of the objects, although reflections in the glass make photography difficult for these and for some of the art works.
I hadn’t yet wandered up to the raised reading room area, but first to find a couple of books to check out. There were lots to choose from on the new books shelf—where I selected one. The second book I found on the new books shelf in the teen area.
The library offers many inviting areas for sitting and reading, but the raised reading room was drawing me.
I headed up the short flight of stairs (alongside a handicapped lift), and there was this wonderful open space toward the corner of Taylor & Long with windows along two sides and four study rooms with sliding glass doors along an inside wall.
I settled in to enjoy one of the books I checked out last week from the Orange Branch of Delaware County Libraries—“Sweep: The Story of a Girl and Her Monster.” After an hour and a half, I emerged back into this world, looked around for a while, and decided it was time to head for home. But first I wanted to take a closer look at one of the artworks on this level and then to look out over the library before leaving.
It’s very easy to see why so many people have been recommending that I visit this wonderful new library. It was truly a delight-filled afternoon.
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