The Whetstone Branch Library is my home library—the one my family and I have generally used over our 19 years in Columbus. However, I must say that it was more my family’s home library than mine. I was always more of a book buyer. Indeed I only rarely borrowed a book on those occasions I took my kids to Whetstone or the Main Library downtown. It was actually more likely that I’d go home with a book or two I’d purchased from the Friends of the Library sale shelves. So when I began my library visits in retirement, I discovered that my library card had lapsed, and I had to get a new one on my first library visit last November to the South High Branch.
The Whetstone Branch Library is on N. High St. in Whetstone Park next to the Clintonville Community Center. It was built on this site in 1985 as a merger of the Clintonville and Beechwold library branches.
But before heading to the library for the afternoon, I needed to get lunch. There are lots of small local places to eat in Clintonville, so I picked one I’d been wondering about for some time—Dough Mama Cafe & Bakery on N. High St. a little south of N. Broadway. Resisting all the yummy looking baked goods, I ordered a Grammie’s Sammie turkey meatloaf sandwich with a side of roasted red skin potatoes.
As I noted, the library is in Whetstone Park. The parking lot is behind the library from the street, between it and the tennis courts. To begin I walked around the outside of the library noting especially the metal book sculpture along the side of the library and the view from the grassy park area in front of the library and sheltered from all the traffic on N. High St.
Just inside the library doors are a large meeting room, rest rooms, and the Friends of the Library sale shelves.
I must admit that my continuing library visits have made me more aware of a great many of the areas and services that are part of this, my home library. I knew there was a lot more here than books, but I mostly came in to wait for my kids. So I’d maybe browse the new books shelves, check out the sale books, and then find a chair to sit and read. Mostly I wouldn’t get much farther in than this large open entrance area with the circulation desk and the long peaked atrium extending the length of the library toward N. High St.
Just inside and to the left are shelves for new books and a nice seating area, and to the right is a large children’s area.
Book shelves dominate the entrance to the children’s area. Farther in and to the right there’s a very nice open area with large windows to the south. To the left are computer stations for children and even more book shelves for children’s books. The library as a whole was busier than I’d expected it to be on an early afternoon, so it was fairly difficult to get pictures without identifiable people in them.
There’s also a Homework Help area set aside in this portion of the library. I’m told it can get rather busy after school lets out for the day.
My family would occasionally reserve books on line for pick up from the reserve shelves, so I'd stop by sometimes to pick them up. I’ve always been impressed by how many books were on those shelves at any given time. People in this neighborhood seem to make heavy use of this service.
At the far end of the atrium area is a designated space for teens with computer stations, age appropriate books and media, and some comfortable seating.
To the left of the teen space is a large area with computer stations for adults. And to the right are more computer stations extending toward a reading area with shelves for periodicals and for graphic novels along the wall.
Far to the left and toward High St. is a Quiet Study Room with lots of windows. I must admit, that I’d never known this room was here in all the years of this being my local library.
One of the things I especially like about this branch is that it seems to have more books and to have them as a more prominent presence than in many of the other CML branch libraries—where sometimes the books seem something of an afterthought to all the other services the libraries offer. The stacks for fiction and nonfiction extend along the entire north half of the library from the circulation desk to the Quiet Study Room.
Another of the things I especially like here is all the art on display throughout the building—from stained glass to wall hangings, from paintings to hanging sculpture. The pictures below show just a sampling. I especially liked the small painting of three businesses along N. High St. including Nancy’s Restaurant, something of a Clintonville landmark. The artworks add color and life to the library, something I find a bit lacking in some of the new, architecturally striking CML branches where white walls and glass seem to dominate.
After considerable browsing in the book stacks, I came up with four books to borrow: a couple from the younger readers shelves, including the first book in the How to Be a Supervillain series, and a book in a science fiction series I like (except The Causal Angel turns out to be book #3, so I’ve done a computer reserve this evening for book #2, The Fractal Prince). The nonfiction book, The Bad-Ass Librarians of Timbuktu, has such an irresistible title!
With books in hand, I settled into a comfortable chair near the periodicals racks to read one of my library books from last week. It offered a great view out into part of the park.
I ended up reading for longer than I intended, but I did finish the book. On the way out to turn that book in and check out four new ones, I realized how much I love the sense in this library (and in some others) of having books all around me. I guess it’s like home that way.
Before leaving, I couldn’t resist one more pass by the huge display of new books. And passing a room that had been dark earlier, I noticed that it was now being used for yet another of the many services libraries provide, a One-on-One Reading Buddies program.
What a good day it was for lunch and library!
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