I was a nerdy child - I know, such a shocking revelation. Every year when the school year concluded and my classmates jetted off towards the beach and summer volleyball camps and the like, one of the first things I did was head to my local library to stock up on ways to stave off the boredom. I was probably one of the only kids whose skin actually lightened in the summer instead of tanning like a well-adjusted Hawaii kid. But it was my summer ritual, and even though I've learned to love the sun and physical activity (or at least treat stop treating them like hostile alien invasions), every summer isn't quite real until there are fortresses of plastic-covered books surrounding my house.
A trip to the Kenton branch of the Multnomah County Library was like coming back to the libraries of my childhood. All the books, including several new titles, line the shelves in an organized fashion. The space used to be a hardware store, but in spite of a fairly standard square-sized layout, the light hits the interior in a way that makes the cube feel clean and welcoming. The library's capacity is supposed to something like 30 people, which feels just right to me. Don't get me wrong - the cavernous Central Library trumps every branch as far as selection, and is an impressive public space in and of itself. But my favorite libraries have always been the small fries, the ones that resemble a personal reading room but with many more books. The Kenton branch also has a decently-sized meeting space in the back, which opens the room considerably.
The very nice employee (an Argentina fan working through his team's pain) who directed me through the self-checkout also proudly pointed out the Lucky shelf. No, not a smut section. The Lucky shelf, unique to the Kenton library, boasts multiple copies of recent popular titles, New York Times best-seller list makers and that sort of thing. I spied a Stephanie Meyer book in both English and Español, for anyone who's into that thing. For Portland, where a common frustration about the public library system is that you can never get a book you want due to all the damn bookworms all over the city, the Lucky selection is an enticing way to ensure that the little library up north will be a favorite spot to spend parts of my summers, and probably other seasons as well. read more
