Are buildings female? Like ships? Indulge me and read along.
She’s a grand lady. Designed with a sturdy appearance, to last a century or more. An anchor for the neighborhood. A destination for young and old, rich or poor.
She’s stood on this corner in a municipality long ago absorbed into the city. She was build at a time when “grand entrance” included stone steps up from the sidewalk. Tall wooden doors open to a tiny vestibule — designed as a sort of air lock to keep cold winter winds from sweeping all the way across the main reading room. High ceilings, marble steps to the daylight basement, high grand windows.
And modern touches. A series of computers for patrons to use. Bar coded materials checked out via computers. Knowledgeable clerks willing to assist.
A modern library in an elegant case.
Welcome to all. Children can read in the same space parents, grandparents, and also great-grandparents came to discover new friends in books.