70 S G M A G A Z I N E | FA L L 2 0 1 8 Sit Quietly No Longer With its huge glass windows and entrance doors, visitors step into the lobby and are immediately surrounded by the creative work of local artists and the smell of freshly roasted coffee. As a place for the people to gather and connect, the SGRL System has partnered with a local coffee company to provide a fresh assortment of coffee, tea, and light snacks. Visitors can sit and enjoy their beverage and snacks in the library café, which features a display of local artwork provided by the Turner Center for the Arts. The popular Friends of the Library Bookstore, which was housed in a back room at the former library, is now in plain view to visitors entering the lobby area. Managed by a group of dedicated volunteers, The Friends of the Library Bookstore accepts donated books that are then resold to raise money to support the SGRL System. “When you enter the library from the lobby you come into the central space,” Gladwin explained. “This is the energized area where there is a lot of activity at the information desk and computer stations.” Gladwin said “it was loud and clear” from the focus groups that library visitors did not want a place where they would have to sit and be quiet. “They didn’t want someone walking around and ‘shushing’ them and telling them to sit down,” she said. “They wanted meeting space, common areas, as well as a place to have a cup of coffee and interact with others.” While the new library has more interactive spaces, the traditional reading areas, which still remain quiet, provide the perfect spot for sitting and reading a book or magazine. Separate areas for children and teens was a must have in the new library design. “We were very conscious of the space and what they each represent,” Gladwin said. “We put the children and teen areas up front where it is clearly visible from the information desk.” We want people to come and stay for a while. We don’t want them to just come and get a book and leave. - MIGUEL VINCENTE