Mall Library

I was Christmas shopping this past week at the Tukwila mall outside of Seattle and what did I see but a library in the mall! I had never seen anything like it before. The opening to the library looked like a high-tech coffee shop/book store. There were a dozen or so nice computer stations around the room, large screen tv's with scrolling artwork, news updates on a screen, everything was high quality. I think the smartest move were all of the book displays around the building. There were displays advertising books of special interest in a way that might attract a teenager.

What a great way to expose people who wouldn't regularly use a library, or even read for that matter, to a wide range of books. The mall library is very non-threatening and very inviting. There aren't all the rows and rows of endless books, but rather shelves set up like a book shop with lots of open space and work stations. You walk by and instantly want to go in to see what is happening there. I'm sure that plenty of people go into the library in the mall simply for the free Internet and computers and then end up seeing a book that looks interesting. Most of the patrons had most likely never stepped foot in a library previously, but now because the library has come to them they have a library card and may even visit a real branch with a wider selection of books. Hats off to whoever came up with this idea. My only addition would be a small coffee bar - because what could be better than coffee and free books?