I’ve been spending a lot of time at the library lately. This will surprise none of you who know my bookish tendencies, but just let me SHOW you our library. You won’t believe it:
Doesn’t it look like a castle, or a fortress, or something out of Lord of the Rings? And yet I assure you it’s set on a very ordinary downtown street, near City Hall and an apartment complex and various municipal offices. (That’s the spire of Bethany Congregational Church in the background.)
Even the font over the door looks Elvish:
I love the sign above the door proclaiming “Free to All.” Getting a library card was one of the first things I did on arrival – after all, what is life without being able to browse good books?
Most of the library is modern inside, well-stocked rows of shelves filled with fiction and biography and mystery and so much more. The children’s room, decorated right now in a Lorax theme, is a dream (unfortunately I have no photos). And the DVD selection is great. But the restored Richardson Building, the west wing, is truly breathtaking:
It’s the periodicals section now, but boasts some lovely stained-glass windows and a quiet, reverent atmosphere. Reminds me of Oxford, unmistakably. A perfect place to study or write.
We have three other library branches in Quincy, and our libraries are part of a network of libraries south of Boston, so we can get books and resources from those too. I feel so lucky! An embarrassment of literary riches.
cakes, tea and dreams 
It looks like heaven. I love the archetecture and style of the building! I can just picture you getting lost for hours.
That is so cool! Nothing like the atmosphere of a library with the aroma of books, wood oils and history in the air!
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