Friends of the Edmonds Library will host “Welcome Back: A Friends of the Edmonds Library Get-Together” on Thursday, Feb. 22.
The event will be held from 4-5:30 p.m. in the Library Meeting Room at 650 Main Street.
From flood to re-opening and beyond … visitors are invited to come and hear the story of the newly remodeled library, according to a news release.
This community event will feature Chy Ross, Sno-Isle Libraries Assistant Director of Capital Planning and Strategy. Ross will share the library’s journey from devastating flood to the grand re-opening, to the future vision for the library.
Ross has worked in public libraries for more than 20 years, in all areas of the field of librarianship. He has been with Sno-Isle Libraries for 18 years, including a stint as the Library Manager at the Edmonds Library.
Light refreshments will be served. Seating is limited. For more information, visit www.sno-isle.org/locations/edmonds.
The new Library is so underwhelming I cannot believe this is what we get for the amount of money spent on it. Its extremely unwelcoming, almost sterile. The interior says to me, “find your book and get out”. Not to mention with the shorter stacks there is less to choose from, and less large reference books. Not pleased at all.
I love the new library! It’s so much more inviting and welcoming to families. It feels so cozy and I love the different little reading and studying areas. My little one and I love to come down and read books and hang out in the children’s area as well. It’s just a great place!
I was shocked when I entered the “new” library. It had the warmth and charm of an appliance store full of chest freezers–sterile white everywhere. I’ve withheld comments until after visiting several times. First impressions confirmed: No more tall natural wood shelves full of inviting books to stroll among. No more warm colors or cozy corners for reading and writing. Browsing the low shelving requires getting on my knees. Even the staff seems less friendly, more intent on chatting among each other than greeting or even looking up at library visitors. As our granddaughter has noted, the place seems physically colder than it used to. There aren’t nearly enough conveniently-located power outlets. She prefers the Lynnwood Library for doing homework and hanging out. Our long-awaited characterless new library appeals to some, but it leaves my family cold.
The library used to be a place to go on rainy afternoons to choose a good book and curl up in a cozy chair in front of the windows. I also loved it for research and writing and just exploring the rows and rows of books.
No more. The library is stark and sterile-looking and the furniture is not comfortable enough to sit for long. The art in the entryway is welcoming but the library itself doesn’t live up to the careful selection of wonderful paintings. The children’s section seems to be a noisy place to play instead of a happy place to learn to love books. I love Edmonds. This is disappointing.
In case no one has noticed we now have a rather large homeless population that tends to use public spaces like libraries as a place to be warm, dry, and have access to things like bathrooms and comfortable places to sit and try to blend in. Maybe this is some of why the rebuilt library is how it is now? Also, everything costs a lot more now, including books, bookshelves and commercial grade furniture. Maybe we should just appreciate we have something in the way of a functional public library and let it go at that.