"The man who doesn't read good books has no advantage over the man who can't read them."
-Mark Twain
-Mark Twain
How do you make the presence of your library felt within your community? Make it look like a giant bookshelf, of course! At least, that's what the Kansas City Public Library decided to do. I had heard about this when the change was first made, but I had forgotten all about it until a few weeks ago, as I was browsing the web for images to use in my IST 511 video project. If nothing else, the effect is certainly eye-popping. I don't know how much 3-D effects were used in the creation of this facade, but the books are incredibly realistic, as though a publishing company decided to put forth the Paul Bunyan editions of classics like Catch-22, Invisible Man, even The Lord of the Rings. I wonder how many car accidents occurred when they first unveiled this masterpiece.
What would be even more interesting to know is whether this has improved the patronage of the library, whether more people have come in to use the resources the library has to offer. As a book nerd, this idea appeals to me--it would easily draw me in. But does it really reach out to those who might not otherwise use the library? It certainly adds a colorful element to the city, helping to beautify the neighborhood. But aesthetics aside, does the space inside complement the outside? Considering my experience with Central last week, I felt that the exterior was pleasant enough, but was disappointed with the feel of the interior space. I wonder if the KC Public library has a similar effect. Is the facade just that--a facade? Or is it a rich reflection of the dynamic space inside, space where people go to obtain and create knowledge, where people go to grow, to become who they want to be through the various opportunities offered by the library and the librarians? I may have to find time to investigate the answers to these questions. But for now, I just thought I'd share this visually fantastic idea that one library had to make their space intriguing and inviting...