As many of you know the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh's Main Branch in Oakland has been undergoing renovations for a while. Earlier this month the first floor of the library re-opened after most of it had been closed for renovations for the better part of the last year. Today I visted that library for the first time since the renovations were unveiled.
I don't like it much. It's nothing like the library I learned to love as I was growing up. The first thing to go was the antique Westinghouse elevator. It was old, shaky and many people were deathly afraid of it. I loved it. Where the old elevator shaft was is the new check-out desk, but now it's called CUSTOMER SERVICE. Last time I checked libraries had patrons not customers. You'd think that professional librarians would know this.
The Gillespie Room is also gone. It has been replaced with a "Crazy Mocha" coffee shop. The main room on the floor is laid out more like a Barnes and Noble than a library. The bookshelves are not arranged efficiently but more like they are there to promote the latest bestsellers.
Oh well. I guess I'm getting too old for the library.
Posted by alycia at October 16, 2004 12:01 AM