Amazon Books: Not a Community Library Experience

Amazon opened a physical bookstore in Seattle called Amazon Books. It's kind of weird.

As I scanned my Twitter feed, I was really irked when I saw the clickbaity Atlantic headline: Did Amazon Just Replace the Public Library?  Because the obvious answer is "um... no?" Bookstores are not intended to be public libraries and, while they can be excellent community partners, they are not designed to provide the same kinds of community learning and connection as a public library. I decided to go to the store to poke around and see what inspired such a strange assertion for that article. What I found was, frankly, not that exciting.

Here is Amazon Books. It's a storefront in University Village, a huge outdoor shopping center with stores like the Apple Store and Gap.

They had a good selection of new and popular titles with an interesting shelving model. There are no prices for any of the books because Amazon prices fluctuate. For an interesting take on the store's design and purpose, I will refer you to this Forbe's article. 

Much like Barnes and Nobel with their Nook stations, Amazon Books had stations set up to try out Kindle devices. I thought this was a pretty clever display to feature both physical books and Kindle Fire's video functions.

They also had Kindles every so often sitting on the shelf next to books. This reminded me of how libraries will often have signs promoting online resources out in the stacks. Any libraries that loan out eReaders may want to take note of this idea.

In the middle of the store there was a bench or two with televisions to try out Fire TV.

And lastly, like many bookstores, they had a counter to ask for information and counter to purchase your items. Pretty basic.

The store was extremely busy at 10:30am today. It was especially filled with children because school was out for Veteran's Day. The children's section was so packed I could barely even enter it. Tubs of toys were, unceremoniously, dumped out onto the floor and children played with them in the aisles. The children's area was small and crowded with shelves, making this activity inconvenient for anyone actually shopping for books.

I asked for help in the Young Adult section to find Winter by Marissa Meyer. A young woman with a hand held device searched for the title. While she was very effective at using the device, her knowledge of the store layout and the merchandise seemed spotty. At least at many local independent bookstores you get the expertise of booksellers.

After exploring the store I still have no idea why you would think that a small storefront like this would replace a public institution. Many independent bookstores in Seattle come much closer to acting like a library, like Third Place Books with their Third Place Commons and Ada's Technical Books with their free talks and programs on many interesting scientific topics. Amazon Books, however, is just a store. And this store, with its lack of personality and service, is literally like buying it yourself on the Amazon website. Well, except you have to put on pants and actually drive out to a store.

Public libraries are a destination and community staple because they provide free and open access to information and resources. Amazon Books is not even remotely doing this. More importantly, Amazon doesn't even remotely claim to do that. It's a bookstore. It sells books. That's it, really. Libraries, meanwhile, provide community learning spaces and resources. They are doing really important and cool things to help the community like connecting at-risk youth to helpful resources, feeding hungry children over the summer, and teaching English as a second language to immigrants. Oh, yeah. And they also have books. A lot of free books.

Let's stop devaluing the public library with these assertions that the library is being 'replaced' or will soon be 'extinct.' It's an important part of every community and needs our support. Thanks!

Best,
Amanda

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

Should Libraries be Closed on Martin Luther King Jr. Day?

Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day!

One of the perks of being a government employee is that you get federal holidays off of work. I've discovered that these holidays are a much welcome reprieve for library staff. So, sorry for what I'm about to say, but... I think public libraries should be open on Martin Luther King Jr. Day (and possibly other federal holidays). I worked for a library that stays open and hosts a MLK Day celebration and the community really appreciated it. I poked around online and found three libraries that are open today and hosting events. Here is what they are doing.

Frisco Public Library, Frisco, TX

This is the library I used to work for. I helped organize this event, so I know more about it than the following two. On the website, they describe the events like this: "Explore an interactive exhibit that celebrates Martin Luther King, Jr.'s life and his impact on the Civil Rights Movement." While some details may have changed, this is how it this exhibit looked a few years ago. There were banners marking the timeline of the greatest civil rights achievements around the room. There was a short documentary on loop for patrons to watch and a few other educational stations. Outside the room, patrons could write out on a paper cloud what dreams they have for the future.

Des Moines Public Library, Des Moines, IA

Most of the Des Moines PL branches are closed, but one branch remains open for a celebration. They also had an art and writing contest in honor of MLK. Here is what they say on their website:

"The Forest Avenue Library is sponsoring a student art and writing contest as part of our community event honoring the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The students whose pieces are selected will win a gift card and have the opportunity to present their work during our annual MLK, Jr. Day Celebration on January 19, 2015 at 4:00pm.

Legacy means what is handed down from the past, from one person to another. Martin Luther King, Jr. left a great legacy for all of us. He was a leader of the Civil Rights Movement, which helped bring about important laws such as the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act. These laws made great progress toward racial equality. He was a powerful speaker, helping people think and feel differently about racism. Dr. King believed in making changes peacefully and he earned the Nobel Peace Prize for this. Later in his life, he also worked with others to try to end poverty and war and to create world peace.

Reflecting on Dr. King’s legacy, we invite you to express yourself by creating a work of visual art (painting, photography, sculpture) or writing (poetry, short story, essay)."

Cleveland Public Library, Cleveland, OH

CPL has a wonderful community event that they describe on their website:

"Drum Majors for Change.

The drum beat for change remains strong as each new generation continues the struggle. Join the Cleveland Public Library and the Delta Alpha Lambda Chapter of the Alphi Phi Alpha fraternity (Dr. King’s fraternity) in commemorating Dr. King’s life and honoring his legacy of leadership in the struggle for civil rights.

Keynote address presented by Pastor Richard M. Gibson, Elizabeth Baptist Church, Cleveland, OH. A community reception follows the program."


While I know it is important to treat your staff well and give them paid time off, I'm not sure public libraries should be closed on most federal holidays. I accept that major holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas should be left alone so people can spend time with their families, but do we really need Columbus Day off? Memorial Day? Veterans Day? The library could be open and serving the public on these days. This would open the door to all kinds of community learning events to honor the reason for the holiday. Instead, why not give employees extra floating holidays?

I know I just suggested that we take away what is a glorious day off of work for many of you, but think of how you could truly embody the spirit of MLK by bringing the community together to celebrate his dream.

Best,
Amanda

Coworking Spaces

Seattle is on top of the coworking trend with dozens of places that charge for innovative work spaces. These coworking spaces are designed for those who work on their own projects or work remotely but would like to work in a more collaborative setting. Here are a few of my favorite about town:

1. Ada's Technical Books and Cafe - The Office

This coworking space lives upstairs from Ada's Technical Books and Cafe in Capitol Hill. This quieter, family friendly section of Capitol Hill is perfect for coworking and is near some really great restaurants and shops. You can rent your own workspace and have access to their wifi and cafe downstairs. 

2. Metrix Create:Space

Metrix is a maker space and coworking space that specializes in prototyping and fabrication. With machining tools, engineers can work on projects and test out ideas. Metrix also runs programs and classes to teach all skill levels how to use the tools. 

3. Makers

Maker's is a large coworking space in downtown that offers meeting rooms, workspaces, and large common areas such as kitchens and lounge spaces. It has the feel of working for a large Amazon type tech company, but is used by many different people for different projects. 

4. Impact Hub: Seattle

This company has many locations all over the globe. They make coworking/event spaces. The Seattle location is in an historic building in Pioneer Square. They have many levels of membership, but the highest level gets you a desk, an unlimited Orca card, and a mail box. 

5. Office Nomads

This coworking space in Capitol Hill offers a variety of work spaces. It has special membership options for students and offers a coworking visa that allows you to take advantage of coworking spaces in other parts of the world for free.  

Public libraries have not done a lot yet with the idea of coworking. They have been chasing after the idea of the 'marker's spaces' with fervor by purchasing 3D printers and preparing more programs that focus on creating and making. Most libraries are not focusing so much on creating a real space, however. They keep tools in closets and cart them out for programs. This is understandable considering space limitations in libraries. Coworking spaces, on the other hand, are all about the idea of creating a welcoming space for people to come together and work on projects. Here are a few libraries that have embraced the coworking trend by providing dedicated spaces:

1. Richland Library - Reserve a Coworking Desk

2. Phoenix Public Library - Hive @ Central

3. Brooklyn Public Library - Shelby White and Leon Levy Information Commons

Even if the library doesn't designate a space as 'coworking' you can still find areas that act similarly. Meeting rooms and study rooms could easily be seen as cowork-friendly. My local library in Capitol Hill has a 'quiet study space' that I have used to set up my laptop and write.

I really like the idea of supporting local entrepreneurs by creating a welcoming and free space where they can work. The important part to remember is that these spaces are designed to bring people together. Quiet study spaces won't cut it if you hope to create a coworking space. The library needs to host events, provide tools, and make a space that is conducive to collaboration. More libraries should be doing this!

Best,

Amanda