My wife and I have been on vacation in Boston and Maine, so I’ve gotten behind on reporting on library visits. So here’s a visit in Madison, Wisconsin, several weeks ago. My next post after this will be on the library in Malden, MA.
I returned to Madison, WI, from the Festival of Homiletics (aka preaching conference) in Minneapolis, and on Saturday, May 18, my son Nathan took me to visit the downtown main library in Madison a block from the State Capitol Building. But first we needed to get brunch and decided to try out Monty’s Blue Plate Diner a couple of miles NE of the library. Monty’s is a 1950s-style diner in a renovated gas station. There was a long line for tables, but we were willing to take open seats at the counter with a view into the kitchen. We each had a really nice breakfast—I had pancakes, eggs, and bacon, but the toppers were the pies—a Snickers-based pie for Nathan and a peanut butter chocolates silk pie for me.
Street parking near the library was all short term, so I took a couple of pictures and headed in while my son looked for something longer. A ramp leads up to the first floor from the entrance at the corner of W. Mifflin & N. Fairchild Streets. This is a very large library, and the building directions posted by the elevator and staircase were really helpful.
I made a quick circuit of the first level waiting for Nathan to get in from the car. My immediate impression was of lots of bookshelves and lots of natural light from windows overlooking the street. Down the center of the large space were a print/copy center and a small cafe area. It was closed, but then we’d already just eaten very, very well.
Then I took a quick look into the teen area and some of the meeting rooms before heading back to the stairway to meet up with Nathan.
While he went to look for books to borrow, I headed the the Lower Level to check out the children’s area. What a large and inviting space this children’s room is, with lots of color and light and several different open spaces set off by bookshelves.
I was especially intrigued by some of the seating and special reading areas set aside for the children. I could easily imagine crawling into one of the colorful cubbyholes with a good book or two, whether to read to a child or just to myself.
Even at this lower level there was natural light from windows to W. Mifflin St. near the stairway down into the room and along N. Fairchild St. with an opening in the ceiling extending up to street-side windows. Note the wall of books used as a decoration at this end of the room.
The building guide had said that the next level up—the ground level—had the Bubbler Room. I was puzzled by this because the only use I’d heard of the term “bubbler” was in New England to refer to a public water fountain. It turns out the The Bubbler Room is a craft area for all ages—“a hub for creative expression… through art creation and appreciation, engagement with new and old-school technology, and hands-on making.” (Perhaps “bubbler” is a reference to creative ideas bubbling up???)
From The Bubbler I returned to the first level to take photos of some of the different spaces on that level. I spent a considerable amount of time checking out the collection of mysteries, even though I couldn’t borrow any books. Looking around, I especially noted the large open area for computers.
There are lots of varied seating areas for studying and/or quiet reading.
I was really struck by the shelves devoted to Book Club Kits—something I have not seen so far in other libraries. What a great idea to set aside multiple copies of books for group reading/discussion along with notebooks containing study guides and other aids for discussion!
On up to the second level of the library I found a really nice quiet reading corner with two walls of windows and shelves for newspapers and periodicals. I also found a second large open area with more computers.
Along with a large nonfiction and reference collection, there are local history materials and maps. There is also a long stretch of windows above W. Mifflin St. with a number of comfortable seats for reading. My son had settled in there (he's way down on the far end near the window), and I decided I’d return here for my reading time later. But first I’d check out the third level.
Because there was a private gathering in front of the art gallery and Madison Room on the third level, I chose not to disturb it. But I did take time to look out on the living roof of the library and a piece of sculpture on the rooftop terrace.
I returned to the second level to spend some time reading and getting a feel for this library. Nathan and I had both brought our Kindle readers. From where I was seated, I had a view of some art on the wall, the buildings across W. Mifflin St., and of Nathan engrossed in his Kindle.
I couldn’t check any books out of this library, however I could visit the Friends Bookstore on the first level and see what they had to offer.
Since I was facing 9 or so hours of driving time to get home to Columbus the next day, I decided to look for audio books on CD for the car. It turned out that James Grady’s Mad Dogs was on my Amazon wish list, and I’ve been meaning to read Star Wars: Fate of the Jedi—Apocalypse (the final story in the now no longer canonical Star Wars universe). I got both of them both for just $2 each. Mad Dogs got me home with story to spare.
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