This is the J. Erik Jonsson Central Library in downtown Dallas. I've never been to the city but I recently came across a few items that resonate with what I've written about libraries here in New York and in Philly and elsewhere. Like in other cities, the Dallas public library system is having its financial woes as the municipal budget is cut. But this central unit could be in an even worse predicament due to a recent emphasis on renewing other areas of downtown with a new arts center and other architecturally daring new buildings--not to mention a lot of attention diverted to the Trinity River project and other things going on in the greater Dallas-Ft. Worth area. The possible result: that the central library could fade in importance and fall into disuse, disrepair, and disregard as patrons use the branch libraries and head to the newer venues downtown.
That's why I was pleased to read this story by Willard Spiegelman in last month's D Magazine. (Yes, I do indeed read D Magazine.) In it he reports that, despite this potential neglect, the library remains as central as ever. It is well used and well kept, and I'm sharing this because I think it's true of most libraries across the country. Patronage is up and librarians are responding with remarkable vigor, keeping things running, advocating for increased (or maintained) budgets, improving collections, serving job seekers and other community members, and even developing an innovative program or two.
The latter is true in Dallas, though it predates the recession by a few months (particularly since, as I understand it, the recession came to Dallas a bit later than other parts of the country). But I am referring to Bookmarks, the city's first library exclusively for children that opened just over a year ago. A branch library devoted exclusively to kids is pretty unique in and of itself. What makes this even more of an entity to watch is its location in the NorthPark Shopping Center, an indoor shopping mall in the northeast part of the city. The idea was evidently to situate the library in a trendy new venue that would Bookmarks that would attract children anyway. I don't have any report on how it's doing, but hope use is up--despite a decrease in consumer spending at the surrounding stores! Here is Bookmark's official site, complete with an extensive line-up of kid and toddler entertainment, and here is a short article about its opening last June 13th (2008). Here's the main page for the Dallas Public Library. Good luck to them and librarians in every city, big and small.
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