At least once a week we make the trek to the Crooked River. This week was no different.
That journey usually takes us past the site of Deschutes County’s new Central Library. It’s been under construction for a bit more than a year, but this month it opened.
The thing about libraries is that you don’t need to search through stacks to find a book, movie or magazine.
The internet has put the library online and most of our reading involves connecting to a website and downloading a borrowed e-book or audio book.
Physical books can be tracked via the library’s catalogue and a visit to our local branch makes pick up quick and easy.
But there is something nice about craning your neck reading titles on a row of books. You walk into the genre and start to find reads you never knew existed.
The apps, like Libby and Hoopla are great search tools. However, prowling the shelves of the library will often bring a forgotten author back to your attention or a book cover will spark your interest in ways no computer search can.
The new library is beautiful, as well as cleverly laid out.
Along the outside walls are massive windows and lots of nooks with comfortable chairs, desks and tables to review that stack of books you pulled.
Shelving takes up the middle ground and then in the center of each of the three floors are closed work spaces.
Some are staff offices, but many are study carrels, meeting spaces and even a MakerSpace.
Not sure we’ll visit there often, it’s kind of out of the way, but they did an excellent job of making a library that invites a visit.