My relationship and love of libraries started at a very young age. My mom and I would walk to the library in our town, housed in a very old 3-story building whose floors were so warped and crooked you could almost read the titles on the shelved vertical spines without tilting your head. When I was in high school, I worked there in the evenings and on weekends, switching to full-time hours each summer.
I always try to visit libraries when I travel; Sedona, Nantucket and Port Jefferson to name just a few. When I saw Salt Lake City’s Main Public Library while planning a trip to Utah, it became a must-see stop on my itinerary.
With its location in downtown Salt Lake City, the 2-hour free parking in the underground garage was incredibly convenient. Taking the elevator up to the entrance level, I was deposited out into the Utah sunshine, so bright that even someone who does not perceive light very well needed to squint. To the right was the door to go inside, to the left the sweeping 5-story curved glass facade. No one else was around, I had this stunning exterior all to myself. Just like a good book, I didn’t want this part of my exploration to end, but there was surely much more to experience beyond the building’s entrance.
Upon entering, I was surprised to find myself in a massive atrium; with retail spaces on one side, the library on the other. The sunlight was prevalent here, the immense, stunning glass ceiling allowing for in to appear out. If not for the refreshing air-conditioning that met me at the door, I might not have known the difference.
Riding an interior elevator to the library, I stepped inside. I was greeted by familiar sounds: the faint clicking of keyboards and hushed voices, as well as, perhaps originating from my imagination and not my nose, the fragrant odor of bound pages of words. Almost two thousand miles away from where I live, I was home.
The Salt Lake City Public Library system consists of nine branches circulating a total of 3 million items annually. The libraries never charge overdue fees.
Designed by architect Moshe Safdie and opened in February 2003, there seemed to be no end to the delights this particular library has to offer its community. The cherry on top was a rooftop terrace with spectacular 360-degree mountain views. As I stood at the perimeter wall, I could feel what I could not see of the city and its surroundings.?
A woman pushing a childless stroller while her young daughter walked next to it approached. “I got new sunglasses,” she proudly stated, taking them off her head to hold them up to me.
“They are so cool!,” I exclaimed. “Did you pick out some books to take home?,” I asked. Her mom pointed to the stroller which I had mistaken as empty; it was near overflowing with children’s books. I wanted to hug them both. They continued down the roof’s path while I returned inside.
The Salt Lake City Main Public Library is magnificent. It cannot be denied. It is a far cry from the worn out library of my youth. Yet it doesn’t matter the condition of a building packed with stories, both made-up and true. The most important thing is that stroller filled with books and the little girl who will read them. Maybe one day, if she is really, really fortunate, she will have the opportunity to visit libraries in other places, in all different states and states, and think of her mom . . . and a walk to the library.
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