This is a branch library in one of the poorer parts of an already depressed town, so they are wanting to use it as more of a free community activity center, and the community it’s in will need it.
The library is not gigantic. It was formerly a funeral home. But they did an amazing job fixing it up.
Some of the features this library has or will have soon:
- A test kitchen with restaurant-grade equipment.
- A workshop with a tool library for lending.
- A clean-up room featuring a washer, dryer and shower free for use.
- A playground and splash pad for kids.
- A huge patio deck for reading, relaxing or whatever else you might want to do.
- Just a pleasant place to hang out.
And, of course, the expected things like a children’s area, meeting rooms, a teen area, a small computer lab and a small collection of books and DVDs.
Before you start complaining about how “libraries don’t have books anymore!” The book stacks are still a 10-minute drive/bus ride away at the downtown branch. The books aren’t going anywhere. Libraries are more than just books. They are one of the few places the community can get all sorts of resources and a place to access them for free
Fantastic! If I lived in Terra Haute I would spend some time in there! Congrats on the opening and I hope the place thrives.
This is incredible and is going to be such a benefit to the community. Your wife is good people and the world truly needs more libraries and “third places” for everyone in a community to use and feel safe in regardless of their socioeconomic status or education or anything else.
The clean up area… Amazing.
Being dirty was one of my biggest fears when I was homeless. I felt like if I passed the point where I couldn’t clean myself anymore, it would just get so much worse from there.
One of the complains she hears all the time is about the “smelly homeless people” in the library. Well now a solution has been provided.
Of course, that meant that conservatives flocked to community meetings about it and complained about how it would bring more of them into the neighborhood.
One guy said, “I have them setting up tents in my back yard!” Did you try just asking them to go somewhere else, dude?
I think the core of the problem is the complainers just don’t want to see or be inconvenienced by “those people.” Even though “those people” would almost certainly not choose to live that way if they didn’t fall on hard times.
It’s an uncomfortable reminder that many of us are closer to being in that situation than we think, and it is easier to fall into that with the more social programs we cut.
That’s exactly what is. As long as they can’t see the homeless, they don’t exist.
This looks amazing! Especially love the kitchen, workshop, and clean up areas. It’s great to give people a space to do things they don’t necessarily have the equipment or means to on their own. Which reminds me I should see if there are any publicly available workshops in my area.
I actually feel like I’m going to cry right now. This is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever heard of. I wish every town had something like this
Why would you hurt Leslie Knope like this?
We’re from Eagleton.
Congratulations! I love seeing new libraries show up! I hope you don’t have to deal with authoritarian jackasses trying to ban books.
This is amazing! I love hearing stories like this. Keep up the fantastic work.
Dope. As. Fuck.
Damn
Wow!
I absolutely love this. Good stuff, man.
I love how you include a cleanup space. Very cozy 3rd place for people to hangout. Good job dude!
How do you continue to fund this though?
Primarily funded through taxes, but even the local Republicans aren’t suggesting cutting the library budget. They’re pissed off about the clean-up room because “it will encourage them” (while also complaining about the smelly homeless people in the library), but they also know the library here is super popular. There was a “we love our library” yard sign they were doing a few years ago and they ran out of signs. They have a summer community book read and they did The Martian this year and ran out of free copies.
Such a weird town. A lot of poor people, many of them without advanced education, but a lot of readers as well.
Keep fighting the good fight against ignorance and illiteracy!
Nice! We need people like you all over the world
Not me, my wife. This is all her.
Every public library is a beacon of hope. Its the most true symbol of a civilized society. Each one brings light of knowledge where there would otherwise be darkness of ignorance.
Please pass my thanks to your wife for advancing civilization.
That looks awesome!
A few tips, based on what has worked in our local libraries:
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A story-reading space where parents or caregivers can bring infants and toddlers to listen to books being read outloud. Librarians, parents, and volunteers take turns as book readers. Hugely popular. Absolutely packed them in. One branch even built a hand-painted replica of the “Goodnight Moon” set.
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A separate, private space for nursing mothers.
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If the budget allows it, a phone charging station.
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Space for common government forms. Applications for welfare, disability, voter, and tax forms. If you can get volunteers to help, even better.
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Was going to mention tools, but see you already have it. In ours, you can check out shovels, saws, wrench sets, gardening tools, etc, to take home for a few days. It got so popular they had to move into their own space.
We love our local libraries.
The government forms are genius
That’s already generally a thing in libraries, thankfully. I used to go to get them from the library occasionally when I ran a sole proprietorship business (i.e. I was the only employee) in the 2000s.
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