I started out my afternoon in Reynoldburg by heading to the City Barbecue location there for lunch. This small but growing Columbus BBQ chain has been a favorite ever since I first ate at their original location on W. Henderson Rd. some 19 years ago. I always have trouble deciding between the smoked brisket and the smoked turkey. Today I chose the turkey along with french fries and their brisket baked beans as sides. As usual, I stuck around and read for a while because I love the down-home atmosphere and they play such good blues music on their sound system.
The Reynoldsburg branch library was constructed in 1980 and renovated in 1990, making it the second oldest of the CML branch libraries. It is one of four branch libraries scheduled to be renovated or rebuilt in the next several years as part of Phase 2 of CML’s 2020 Vision Plan (which also includes the Karl Road, Hilltop, and Gahanna branches).
Last week I attended a presentation where the CEOs of the Columbus and Dayton libraries spoke how libraries used to be designed for collections but are now designed for connections. So the rebuilt Reynoldsburg branch will feature more open spaces with natural sunlight and more seating, more meeting rooms and community gathering spaces, as well as a larger children’s area, a larger homework-help center, more study rooms, and a larger dedicated space for teens. The 10 most recently rebuilt libraries also feature lots of windows to allow people to look from the library and into the library, building connections with he community.
I parked in a large, almost full lot behind the library and walked out to the street to see the “learning/ knowledge sculpture in front of the library. Then I returned to the admittedly not especially inviting entrance door. The building has relatively few windows, most of which face Brice Rd. with a few high windows into the children’s area.
Just inside the entrance is the usual Friends of the Library book sale (I took a look but nothing caught my eye) and a meeting room that was being used for a job fair.
Inside the library itself, the large children’s area to the right is really pretty basic. There are lots of low bookshelves easily accessible by children as well as stand-alone displays for new books. There are age appropriate computers stations along the outside wall under the high windows. One thing I noted that I’ve only rarely seen in other libraries was a small puppet show stage in the corner of the storytelling area. The taller shelves along the inside wall contained a nice, rather large selection of books for older elementary and middle school readers.
My new Mo Willems book for today from the children’s section was I Broke My Trunk!. I really loves Elephant & Piggie books. They always bring a smile and often make me laugh out loud.
To the left from the library entrance are books, books, and more books. I had a great time browsing in the stacks—the extensive fiction collection especially. (Yes, I know I can search the entire Central Library Consortium collection by computer and the reserve books I want. But I really love looking through shelves and both finding new books and remembering old favorites.)
Like the children’s area, the teen area is also pretty basic, with a selection of tables and chairs and three computer stations.. But there is a rather large collection of graphic novels, and the shelves of teen books extend down along the far wall.
Across from the teen area there is long display with a large number of new books and then to the right a large separate area with several rows of computer stations.
Farther down this wall in the direction of Brice Rd. is the Homework Help area (with it’s customary display of college banners) and a large study room that was in use.
At the far end of the library toward Brice Rd. there is a brightly lit reading area with racks of periodicals. The windows look out on the front lawn and Brice Rd. The shelves that make off this area are for recorded media—DVDs, CDs, and audible books. There was also an area with study tables and more cushioned chairs, but there were too many people using it for me to get a photo.
After spending time browsing in the fiction, mystery, and science fiction & fantasy shelves, I found a comfortable chair more or less in the center of the library and settled in to finish the library book I’d brought with me to read.
To my right was a very busy help desk. When I took the photo below, both librarians were busy helping customers to find books they were seeking.
When I’d finished my book, I spent some time looking through the four books I’d selected from the shelves and ended up deciding to check out all four, despite having three library books at home already to read. (Two of the new books are shorter novellas.)
After a brief time at the self-checkout terminals just to the right of the entrance/exit doors, I took my four books and headed out into a beautiful 75 degree fall afternoon. I found myself wondering if CML will rebuild at this location or find some larger piece of property. Whatever the decision, I look forward to visiting the new library in the future.
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