local library ramblings
I've been meaning to visit some of the other local public libraries around here. Yesterday,
dcltdw and I went to the Belmont and Lexington (main) libraries. Lexington's is amazingly spacious, with lots of comfy chairs scattered around. It's right on Mass Ave near the bike path at Lexington Center. Belmont's is on Concord Ave near where I work. An interesting building, but a little crowded. I hear they are in the process of renovating, but I don't know how far off that will be. (For anyone who remembers him from SPUR, I think they're using Stew Roberts as their architect!) Compared to Arlington (main), I think that Belmont and Lexington may both have slightly more in the new books area. All these are wildly more book-ful than the Davis Square branch or Coolidge Corner, but I guess that's the thing about branch libraries. I'm personally not crazy about the actual main Boston Public, especially now that every other nearby city except Boston is on the Minuteman network with interlibrary book delivery. Although BPL has the rather nifty Ask-A-Librarian online feature. Somerville (main) always seems kind of grim and not the kind of place you want to loaf around in, even though they (at least used to) have a rabbit in the children's room.
Anyhow, if you're local and you haven't been to Lexington main, it's worth a stop sometime. They don't love you for doing so, but you're allowed to return books from one library to another one, so it's not too inconvenient.
dcltdw and I went to the Belmont and Lexington (main) libraries. Lexington's is amazingly spacious, with lots of comfy chairs scattered around. It's right on Mass Ave near the bike path at Lexington Center. Belmont's is on Concord Ave near where I work. An interesting building, but a little crowded. I hear they are in the process of renovating, but I don't know how far off that will be. (For anyone who remembers him from SPUR, I think they're using Stew Roberts as their architect!) Compared to Arlington (main), I think that Belmont and Lexington may both have slightly more in the new books area. All these are wildly more book-ful than the Davis Square branch or Coolidge Corner, but I guess that's the thing about branch libraries. I'm personally not crazy about the actual main Boston Public, especially now that every other nearby city except Boston is on the Minuteman network with interlibrary book delivery. Although BPL has the rather nifty Ask-A-Librarian online feature. Somerville (main) always seems kind of grim and not the kind of place you want to loaf around in, even though they (at least used to) have a rabbit in the children's room.
Anyhow, if you're local and you haven't been to Lexington main, it's worth a stop sometime. They don't love you for doing so, but you're allowed to return books from one library to another one, so it's not too inconvenient.