Baltimore Metro: "Libraries Invite Patrons to Have a Coffee, Stay a While"
From the Baltimore Sun:
When Howard County unveils its new 63,000-square-foot library in December, patrons will be welcomed into a high-tech facility with a computer classroom and a historical center. Officials also plan a garden that they envision will be charming enough for weddings.
Baltimore’s Enoch Pratt Free Library system will this month open its first small eatery in a neighborhood branch, where people can snack on fresh pastries, sandwiches or coffee while they use the library’s wi-fi.
Far from the stuffy, silent archives of old, today’s libraries are inviting patrons to come often and linger, have a snack and meet with friends. As they build new spaces or renovate old ones, officials are responding to patrons’ changing needs by adding tech-savvy features, providing food and drinks and reconsidering how people use library spaces.
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Filed under: Archives and Special Collections, Libraries, Patrons and Users, Public Libraries
About Gary Price
Gary Price (gprice@gmail.com) is a librarian, writer, consultant, and frequent conference speaker based in the Washington D.C. metro area. He earned his MLIS degree from Wayne State University in Detroit. Price has won several awards including the SLA Innovations in Technology Award and Alumnus of the Year from the Wayne St. University Library and Information Science Program. From 2006-2009 he was Director of Online Information Services at Ask.com. Gary is also the co-founder of infoDJ an innovation research consultancy supporting corporate product and business model teams with just-in-time fact and insight finding.
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