Link: Cantabrigian wanders library, finds it empty
Looking out from a study room in the Cambridge Main Library as it’s opened to the public in October. (Photo: Marc Levy)
Blogger Martha Nichols has a critical look at the Cambridge Main Library featured at salon.com.
Called “The Death of the Library Book,” Nichols finds the the city’s glowing, architectural jewel has her wondering: What are libraries for?
She writes:
In a town of bookish big mouths, revamping the main library was political and emotional; a 20-year resident of Cambridge, I remember it well. Local press has since been enthusiastic. But although the old building needed lots of fixing, I’m now reevaluating my own opinion of whether the city should have spent $91 million on this architectural marvel.
Read it all here.
I’ve been to the library a large number of times since it has been opened and it usually quite busy; they report that book circulation is way up. This facility is more than a new glass building since the old 1889 building was beautifully renovated and library functions are split between the two parts. The new Teen Center (in the old building) is often quite active and there are young adults in other portions of the library as well and the Children’s section is very appealing. In addition to books there are DVDs , VHS tapes, CDs, magazines, music scores, reference materials (not everything is on the internet. New books cost $20-$40 or $10 electronically and not all are available for the Kindle et al. Old books are often not available available in electronic form. The Cambridge library system (Main and 6 branches) is not in jeopardy of closing. Cambridge has been in such demand for commercial real estate that the residential tax rate is low and it is well run financially with a AAA bond rating so it could afford the $91mill price tag and can staff the system. A small portion of the cost was to benefit the park (which is much nicer than it was before and the High School which co-exist on the site. It is also connected to the Minuteman system so that interlibrary loan works really well with ~30 neighboring cities and towns. There are a range of meeting rooms and this system has a huge variety of programs that attract people of all ages and cultures to it. In full disclosure, I was a member of the Library21 Committee where we defined the program and estimated the size needs and also the Design Advisory Committee and thus had a part in the planning. I was skeptical at first because of the the beginnings of the Internet age but in meeting with library experts, politicians, and residents I became convinced that the demand was there and would remain large. It was an arduous task to get to completion but there was a lot of cooperation between city staff, local residents, and the architectural firms to reach the current design.