East Columbia Library

Years and years ago, this was our library.  I remember when this library opened its doors!  I don't think we even had 3 children at the time!  We were there on opening day, and for the years that we lived in Columbia, this was our library of choice.  It was a long walk away from home.  It took us about an hour to walk over there - around a lake, under a road, past a grocery store, and around some playing fields.  We'd make an event of these trips!  I'd load the books up into the stroller and off we'd go.  We got there in time for story time, and then we'd pick out books, roam around for a little while, and then head back home.  We'd stop at the grocery store and pick up something for lunch - usually hummus and carrots or something like that.  We'd journey under the road and stop by the playground next to the lake, where we'd eat our lunch and play on the playground.  We'd then wend our way around the lake towards home, where three exhausted kids would fall into into a very exhausted afternoon nap almost as soon as we walked in the door.  Oh!  The memories!  Those were wonderful, wonderful days!  I didn't realize how much I missed them until I was roaming around here today.  The kids are all grown up now, but those were bright, wonderful days full of innocence and joy!

I was back in Columbia this week, and I took advantage of the opportunity to stop by the library and reminisce.  Some things have changed, and some have stayed very much the same.  

Are you ready to look at the library?

This is the view coming up from the soccer fields.  The community pool is to the right, and there's an elementary and middle school located just beyond the pool.  This side faces the parking lot.

A better view of the front doors.  The Senior Center is located in this building, too, just to the left as you enter the doors.

The adult reference desk is located just inside of the front doors.  (I can't imagine how cold this is in the middle of January!)

The Learning Commons.  This has changed since we lived here.   I love the new set up with the tables and the lamps!  It's much more intimate and feels warmer than the long rows of tables with the computers lined up.

Fun Fact: When the internet first became a "thing" back in the late 90's, I was a stay at home mother with three young kids.  I knew I was going to need to know how to navigate the internet in order to reenter the work force down the line.  Guess where I took classes to learn how to surf the web, navigate the computers, work Windows 95, and learned about Linux based operating systems?  This library, right here.  They had the long rows of tables then, and there were 4 or 5 of us in most of those classes, with one librarian helping us learn to navigate the intricacies of the web.  Thanks so much Howard County Library!

I still love this long view down through the Young Adult books!  That's a quiet study room at the end of the view.  It's got doors, tables and chairs, and outlets.  It's a pretty nice space!

That's the adult fiction section straight ahead.  I would make a beeline here with the stroller to pick one book for myself before heading over to the children's section.  Can you see that glass wall to the left, just behind the pillar and the arm chair?  That's another quiet study area.  Sorry I couldn't get a picture of that, but there was somebody working in there. 

This globe.  I can't tell you how glad I am this is still here!  We spent a lot of happy time here, looking at our world and investigating countries.  We'd find a country we wanted to know more about, and then we'd go search through the non-fiction books, find a few books about that country and check them out!

Along the back wall.  This is the individual/quiet study area.  Just behind me is the group study area.  Believe me, there were a lot of groups working back there!  Every single table was taken by at least two people, and there was a LOT of collaboration happening everywhere I looked!

Still my favorite walk!  From the central portion of the library, down the hall to the Children's Section!

The computers in the children's section.

Group study tables.

THESE!  My kids loved to curl up in these and read a book!

This was the original story room.  I remember going in here with the kids!  By the time my kids were out of preschool, the library was handing out tickets to get into story time in this space.  Not too long after, they moved the story times into the group meeting room.  When I walked past, it was packed!

The baby play area.  Lots of toys for little friends live back in this corner!

If you'd like to find out more about the East Columbia Library, you can visit their website here:
(And  you can see the awesome picture of the exterior of the building along the street.  Gorgeous picture, taken by a professional photographer!)

EAST COLUMBIA LIBRARY