What Makes a Library?
Libraries need updating, once in a while. Sometimes the update is a new building or an expansion, and sometimes it’s the concept of what the Library is offering to the public and how it may serve the patrons better. When I first read about the River Center Branch Library (RCBL) in River Falls, Wisconsin and their architect Rex Canabiss’ idea that the new space they were building will not be filled with old books, I must admit there was an audible gasp emanating from the depths of my soul. Doesn’t this go against everything that makes a library a library? Who would have the chutzpah to do such a thing and think they can get away with it? Once the dust settled though, and my dander was down, I was able to logically think about what they were proposing.
