When I decided last night to visit the Karl Road Branch Library, I consulted Google Maps to see what restaurants might be close by in the neighborhood for lunch. Initially I was disappointed not to find any diners, but I did notice there were a number of nearby African restaurants. Given that there are large numbers of African immigrants living in this part of Columbus, I decided to eat at the Drelyse African Restaurant on Tamarack Circle, which specializes in Ghanaian cuisine. When I got there at 11:30 am the place was empty, but I was welcomed warmly. It’s a small place that is very nicely decorated with tables set with drinking goblets along with cloth napkins and table cloths. I counted seating for 28. The large portrait on the wall is of Nelson Mandella. I had a Sambusa appetizer and then the Jollof Rice with Goat, both of which were excellent. (Note to self: take my wife Kathy here for dinner sometime.)
From Drelyse I headed to the library, which (according to the CML website) was constructed in 1988. Last fall the CML Board selected an architect to design a new library for the same site that will approximately double the current 20,000 square feet. Construction is expected to begin in the next year or so. Walking up to the library from Karl Rd. I stopped to photograph a metal sculpture near the entrance.
From the entrance doors, a striking atrium with arched, translucent skylight extends the full length of the library, with the circulation desk located just inside to the right and a large children’s area to the left.
The bright and inviting children’s area gets lots of natural light from several large windows. Along with a great many bookshelves for children’s books, the area includes a Ready for Kindergarten area with “yellow school bus,” a seating area, and a half dozen computers for children’s use, and a number of tables with chairs.
Since I’d so much enjoyed a Mo Willems book on last week's visit to the Millersport Library Kiosk, I decided to see what might be available here by him. I found several of his books in two different sections, and I especially enjoyed sitting down to read Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed (an old favorite with a great title) and the Elephant & Piggie book Listen to My Trumpet (which has a great twist near the end).
Looking from the children’s area back toward the circulation desk, my eyes were caught by the three brightly colored bird sculptures high up on the far wall.
On the right side of the atrium past the circulation desk there are shelves for the fiction New Arrivals. Today, both books I ended up deciding to check out came from here.
Farther on down the atrium on the right there’s a room full of computers, nearly all of which were in use, followed by a reading and study area with a separate Homework Help room with the usual accompanying display of college banners I have found in all of the Columbus Metropolitan Libraries so far.
Across the atrium from the computer and homework help areas are the main stacks for first Adult Nonfiction and then Adult Fiction. The walkway between the two section leads to a wall of windows lined with study tables.
Just past the adult book stacks is a separate area for teens with shelves for Teen & Young Adult Fiction and Nonfiction books.
I selected one of the cushioned chairs backing up to the window in this room as a great place to sit and read for the next hour or so, with lots of natural light and a great view back up the atrium to the library entrance.
A little after 2 pm I decided it was time to go back to the circulation desk to check out the two books I’d selected from the New Arrivals: S. L. Huang’s Null Set (a sequel to a book I’d checked out from the Linden Branch library back in January) and The Department of Sensitive Crimes, the first book in a planned series by Alexander McCall Smith. I enjoyed my visit to this library very much, and I hope to visit the new facility when it opens 2-3 years from now. And I especially enjoyed my first experience of an African restaurant.
[Note: Somehow I never got photos of either the Study Room or the Meeting Room at the library.]
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