Library Profile (plus a bookstore) - Lake Forest Park and Third Place Books

I came across the Lake Forest Park Library (a King County Library in Lake Forest Park, WA) quite on accident. I was visiting the amazing Third Place Books, when I discovered the library downstairs. It occurred to me that it had been a while since I made a post and this seemed like the perfect opportunity.

Lake Forest Park Library is nestled in the Town Center shopping mall, a curious collection of stores and interconnected passageways. This shopping mall is not like the malls that house Bookmarks (Dallas Public Library branch in NorthPark Center) or even the other KCLS Branch in Southcenter Mall. This is a small, indoor mall this is mostly taken up by Third Place Books. There is also a food court, a Rite Aid, a Gallery, and some other shops.

The library itself is small, but still a good size for the space. There are even designated children and teen spaces.

I loved the attention to detail and the welcoming layout. The clock behind the counter was very eye-catching.

While I was pleasantly surprised by the presence of a library, the real reason I was there was to explore the great Third Place Books. This bookstore is amazing! They have all the new releases and also buy used books to add to their shelves.

They have a pretty amazing children's section. Fun decor and a good selection.

They had a life sized chess board, a common area with lots of seating, and their own press! They will help you self-publish a book and print it.

Wizard's Chess, anyone?

Lastly, they had a store that sold all kinds of tempting goodies.

Yes, this is a Tribble coin purse. 

Such cat. Much amaze.

What an awesome place! I could spend hours and hours here. The whole shopping center is kind of amazing and it makes you think about the future of libraries and bookstores. I love that this community has a centralized location where they can find books as they accomplish their daily errands. You can check out a book from the library, read it, and decided to buy it upstairs. As strange as this sounds, I have lots of books on my bookshelf that I have never read. By this, I mean that I have never read that copy. I buy the book after I fall in love with the library copy and loan mine out to friends and family. It's also just nice to see the book on my shelf should I decide t revisit it. Having these two institutions together in the same place seems to work really well. I imagine that Third Place Press, for instance, facilitates a lot of emerging local authors. And having an established author event can be shared and supported by both agencies. 

In short, I had a fun adventure yesterday. Town Center is a kind of mecca for book nerds. You should go if you find yourself in the Seattle area. As a parting note, please enjoy this random astronaut. 

Best,

Amanda

Library Profile: Everett Public Library

As I explore this new home of mine, I'm exploring nearby library spaces. This series that I'm calling 'Library Profiles' will show off those spaces. Which means, basically, I'm just showing you pictures of awesome libraries. Today I went to the main branch of the Everett Public Library (EPL) in Everett, WA. It's about a 30-40 minute drive north of Seattle.

Even before you go inside, you get the feeling that this place is magical because of the giant book sculpture out front.

You can enter in through the Bookend Coffee Co. that is attached to the library.

This was the first time I ever got a fortune cookie with a cappuccino. It was amazing. And you know what? I will dance as if no one is watching.

The children's area is spacious and colorful. The thing that caught my eye was the fish tank. Just keep swimming, Dory and Marlin! I know Nemo's around here somewhere...

The first floor has a high celling with great natural light.

The view from the second story window was beautiful as well. Why, yes. I will gaze upon the beauty of the sound as I reflect upon historical texts from your Northwest Room.

If you live in Seattle or King County, you can get a library card with EPL for free. I suggest checking this library out (unintentional pun, I promise) and grabbing some coffee from Bookend. For more information about the library or it's history, go to their website. 

Grace Lin Lecture - UW iSchool

One of the things that makes a library a destination for many people is, of course, the books. Many of us have that one author that we love almost everything they write. Last week I went to the iSchool Spencer G. Shaw Lecture at the University of Washington by the author Grace Lin. I am ashamed to say I have not read any of her books, but I feel like I need to now! The lecture was amazing and insightful. Grace Lin is the author of picture books, early readers, and chapter books for young children. One of her most famous works is Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, a story about Minli, a young girl who goes on an adventure to change her family's fortune. The story incorporates Chinese folklore and mythology.

Grace Lin talked about her journey to embracing the title of 'multicultural' author. Growing up in America in a predominately white neighborhood, Grace Lin often tried to forget about her Chinese culture to fit in. It was later in life, at art school, that Grace Lin decided she needed to take a look back at her Chinese culture. She looked to folktales and folk art from China and let it shape her art. Early on in her career, Grace was told that being 'multicultural' meant that she would not have broad appeal. Now she is an award winning author and illustrator.

Her lecture was particularly interesting to me. As the wife of a Chinese-American man and, some day, the possible mother of American children with Chinese ancestry, it helped me understand that experience. It makes me happy to know that Grace Lin and others are writing books about their culture. It is so important for children from all backgrounds and cultures have stories and characters that they can relate to. It is also important for children to read stories outside their cultural norms. Grace Lin's stories may be multicultural, but they also have broad appeal.

Best,
Amanda