Columbus Metropolitan Library: Northside Branch — Attraction in Columbus

The Northside Branch of the Columbus Metropolitan Library, in the past, had been quite small and quite crowded; now, after having been torn down and rebuilt [they re-opened 6-22-2017 after having been closed for a while], that library has plenty of room.

Several of the organizations with which I am involved regularly hold their meetings at the Northside Branch Library.

The architecture of the Northside Branch Library is unusual because it appears to be tilted when viewed from the outside. I particularly like the "from-above" view of the many "book stacks" in the basement level when viewed from the entrance level.

The Northside Branch Library is very quick to re-shelve its books and otherwise to keep that library in order.

During one of my recent meetings, I had been talking with someone about the difference between two different book classification systems [Dewey Decimal and Library of Congress] that allow for new books to be added to a library in their appropriate location based on subject.

I briefly removed a book from a nearby display easel so that I would be able to show that book to my friend so that we could look at the book classification that appears on that book's spine. By the time that I had returned to that bookshelf, that display easel had already been replaced by a...

While the Columbus Metropolitan Northside Branch Library at first seems very accessible, as soon as you spend 10 minutes looking at the finer details of the building, some issues stand out. The library does have braille on its signage, ramps and elevators to move between floors, and lower shelves to making grasping books much easier. The first thing to mention is how the desks at which the librarians stand behind seem slightly too tall for someone who isn't standing in front of the desk. The library also does not have accessible doors. The front door may be an automatic sliding door however, the doors within are not automatic nor are they easy to push at all. Even I, someone who is able bodied in this way, had to put a lot of force getting the study room doors open. This is not to mention that the doors have handles on both sides handles are for pulling not pushing making it unclear how to properly open the doors. This is, of course, mended with the slightly out of sight sign prompting patrons to ask for help opening study room doors. While this library does excel in many areas of accessibility there are still areas where...

Honestly, the place is a fantastic resources for the local students and denizens of the short north. A library is already a wonderful resource to the community, but this library has been built with the young people in mind. There are meeting spaces suitable all the way from 2 people study sessions to larger groups. The book pit area is well lit with ample seating, and the cafe serves light food and drink that's accessible to eat in the library. The second floor has a computer section with many computers (including Macs!) to use, and lots of seating that faces high st for people watching.

Yes, it is cavernous and you can hear people, but for that I generally consider the usage of headphones in that regard. If it gets too rowdy, the many librarians immediately go to try and help. There are resources for those who need help that are of course free, and there are workshops that give folks the chance to get tools to help themselves.

Libraries are incredibly important resources, and Columbus invested wisely in this library right on campus. I'm a...