The Library

I had only been In Salt Lake city 2 days when I made my first visit to The City Library.

Our condo had a TV but no reception. I had my laptop but had no internet service. We were supposed to have both, so during the week I waited to have these services installed, I visited the library often.

The Main library is about a mile from our condo. Somedays I would walk all the way there and back and some days I would take the TRAX.

This light rail system was built for the 2002 Olympics and runs through downtown SLC. I would hop on at the arena and ride free in the downtown free-zone, hopping off just a few blocks from the library.

The Main Library is a beautiful new building that won library of the year in 2006. The librarian was happy to give me a provisional card until I brought in mail with my name and address (not hand-written). I gratefully checked out books, cds and DVDs.

But my favorite part of visiting the library was to climb the spiral stairs up to the fifth floor, then cross the catwalk to the windowed-wall of desks set up for computer use. (These desks were on floors 2-5 but I liked best the view from the 5th floor, where I could gaze out the window across the downtown and had great views of the mountains as well.

Here I would hook up my laptop to power (the first time I forgot my power cord and could hardly read the words in the bright sunlight) and connect to their wireless network and before I knew it I was reading e-mails, blogs, and articles of home.

There is something wonderful about a downtown library. I would be surrounded by business people, college students, families and the homeless. The warm, bright space attracted many different people, all enjoying the comfortable leather chairs, views of the city, fireplaces, wi-fi, and of course the books; thousands of books.

As my church bookclub was reading a children's book for Feb., I went down to the lower level and explored the children's section. Besides all the books, there were wonderful play areas and displays sure to inspire a child's imagination.

Is there anywhere in the world as wonderful as a library on a blustery winter day?

I must visit the new downtown Minneapolis library when I get back to MN