Library, Reimagined

Last Saturday, Mr. and I attended the long-awaited grand re-opening of the West Park branch of the Cleveland Public Library (CPL). 

There were balloons and face painting and refreshments, and the atmosphere was very festive. The new décor is delightful. We chatted with John Skrtic, Chief of Special Projects and Collections at CPL. John posts a lot community shout-outs on Facebook and Twitter, along with some cool historical articles and such. If you don't already follow him and you're a Cleveland booster, I highly recommend a look-see.

Getting back to our narrative...John introduced us to Michael Ruffing, a gentleman who's worked at the downtown library for 40 years. Michael was there when they started to transition from the card catalog to computers, so he has a fascinating take on how the library has changed over the years. He's responsible for a wide range of things, including some light fixtures he was tasked with replacing. It may not sound like a big deal, but these luminaires are nearly a century old, and they were originally gaslights, so the fixtures had to be hand-made, requiring a talent that's extremely rare. He ultimately did find an artisan in Rhode Island, but it took a lot of searching. Other anecdotes were shared, too, and we had a lovely chat. Michael should write a book.

Meanwhile, back at the grand opening...

New entrance, which
was the original

The whole downstairs area is now accessible and features kid-friendly rooms. There's a place for children to go after school with computers, games and a play area. Oh ya, there were some books there, too.

I'm going to put on my old man hat and grouse just a bit. Yes, they still have books at the newly-remodeled branch, but there are about half as many as there used to be. I understand that times are changing, and the library is about more than reading, it's about community. So I'm not grousing too loudly. I'm just a little sad that there aren't more books there.

And yes, one can order books from the downtown library and have them shlepped over to our branch. And yes, there's a cool new locker room, where you can pick up said books 24/7, and that's a wonderful thing. 

Still, there is something to be said for browsing. Many times in the library, Mr. Ginley has picked up a book that caught his eye, and it turned out to be a real treasure. When you order a book online, it's a specific title you saw elsewhere. There's no serendipity involved.

I guess all that means is that we have to make more of an effort to frequent the downtown library, which is not a bad thing. And it's definitely something we'll do when the weather warms again. (Taking RTA in the cold weather and walking around downtown is not much fun.) There are so many treasures at the main library, and the building itself (which dates from 1925) is worth the visit. It's one of the best libraries in the country, but sadly, a too-well-kept secret.

Summing things up...I'm happy our branch library is open again. It was great to see our favorite librarians (Phil and Cathy) back home. And I look forward to strolling over there to check it out when it's not quite so busy.

Read on!