From the article:
At the front of the room, Taiwanese dancers twirled to lilting music, dipping and sliding as they rang tiny silver bells.
Watching from the back of Kirk Hall at the downtown library, Maribel Patterson washed down grilled chicken satay and vegetable spring roll with a sip of Merlot.
She shook her head. “Gee, when I was growing up, my library just had books. Things change, I guess.”
Few things have changed more than the public library. Once pigeonholed as a place for reading and reflection, modern libraries have busted out of their book-lined cage.
They have coffee shops and salsa dancing, script readings, film series, Ethiopian food tastings, alternative fashion shows and classes that teach everything from yoga and Pilates to chess.
In March, a Harry Potter band called the Remus Lupins flew in from the coast to perform at the Plaza branch.
“Not your grandmother’s library,” understated Henry Fortunato, Kansas City Public Library’s director of public affairs.
2 comments:
I always cringe a little when I hear people say that. I know the point they are trying to get across, but it makes me think of all the complaints I hear about this new fangled technology and how we're not meeting our traditional duties as libraries. I think the it's important to point out we ARE your grandmothers library, as in we still offer the same services, but we're YOUR library too, as in we offer so many new and amazing things too!
you raise a good point! We are everyone's library! :)
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