The more things change, the more they stay the same

I’ve always loved that saying.  Maybe I love it because it’s helped me feel less afraid of the future.  Change can be very scary.   Holding onto memories of the past helps you remember why you are trying that new thing or provides comfort in case of anxiety.   As we worked through the process of designing our library, we had many discussions about how to keep the most beautiful spaces.  We dug through old photo albums to see how things looked years ago, before any of us were born.  When we talked about the area between the 1916 and 1931 structures we realized we had an opportunity to recreate something similar to what there before.  We decided to put doors back in place providing the best opportunity to keep the reading areas in the 1916 library as quiet as possible, creating an area for quiet contemplation.   We’ve planned double doors at all three doorways.  When I was at the library this week, I saw they’d removed my office as well as the entire circulation desk that spanned both rooms.  You can now see exactly where the three sets of double doors will go.   I see this as a  nod to history, a way to highlight a stunning architecture feature, and a practical solution to reducing noise.  Take a look at the photo and imagine how beautiful it will be!

Obviously, there's a reason I'm a librarian and not an architect!