Elkridge Public Library

Howard County Public Library opened a new branch a few months back.  I finally got an opportunity to stop by and visit this wonderful new branch.  This new building is located on the same property that housed the previous Elkridge Branch, but it has been beautifully updated!

Howard County has always done a marvelous job of keeping their branches updated and current with the most modern resources and technology.  This branch has something new and exciting - a tool library.  You can check out tools, take them home and use them for the full checkout period and then return them.  Talk about a huge money saving device that benefits the community!

The Elkridge Library is located just off of Route 1 in Elkridge.

As always, I post pictures without people's faces.  As always, I struggle to get enough pictures without people's faces.  For the middle of a weekday afternoon, this place was absolutely packed.   I took as many pictures as I could to get a good idea of what the branch looks like, and I posted what reflects the branch without posting pictures of people's faces.  

Front Entry

The site plan for the library.  I like the dedicated wetlands and green space.

This is the tool library.  I really like that it's separate from the rest of the building.

Library entrance. It's got a very sleek, modern feel to it.

I'm a big fan of the bubble wall along the side!

Look at all of those gorgeous books!

A view of the children's desk.

A view down the side of the children's section towards the teen section.

Study tables.

The cafe area at the very front - away from the stacks!

Howard County Public Library Elkridge Branch Website: https://hclibrary.org/locations/elkridge-branch/

The Enchanted Garden at Miller Library

I highlighted the inside of the Miller Library a couple of weeks ago.  There is another part of the Miller Library that is worthy of mention - The Enchanted Garden.  This garden is filled with plants that are native to the area, a garden, and is maintained by the Howard County Gardeners.  This garden is located off to the side of the library.  This is one of the two libraries that I frequent in Howard County.  Whenever I stop here, I make a point of stopping here, walking around the garden, and sitting for a while somewhere in the garden, spending some time communing with nature.  Come and join me in a quick stroll through the garden.

The entrance to the Enchanted Garden.

The view under the trellis in the garden.  If you hit this place at the right time, those tables and benches are full of people working on their laptops.

Heron water fountain in the middle. 

The arbor tunnel at the back of the garden.

The stream running through the center of the garden.

The view into the vegetable beds.  You can see the driveway and the street, just outside of the fence.

Check out the covers of the children's books in amongst the flowers.

A closer view of the vegetable gardens.

A pollinator box, surrounded by plants that attract pollinators.

The view from the back corner, by the vegetable boxes towards the library and the front gate.

Glenwood Library

This gorgeous little library is located in Western Howard County, MD.  Surrounded by farms and farm country, the library blends in with the farms and rolling hills in the area.  The architecture of this building has always reminded me of barns.

The outside of the library, looking at the main entrance.

The view just inside of the front door.  Look at those exposed beams!

The Information desk.

The view out to the back.  I love that large window wall!  That's the YA section in the very back, and a baseball diamond outside!  Just to the left, behind that wall is the Children's Section.

A view from the back right corner along the window wall.

The YA section.

The non-fiction adult section.  A row of computers to the right of me - magazines in front.

Mixed Media - CD's and DVD's.

The Information Desk in the Children's Section.  When this library first opened, the barn like structure in the back was used for story times.  The doors slide open, and contains an intimate space for storytime.

Study/Quiet area in the Children's Section.

The view towards the front doors from just outside of the Children's section.

Bear in a porthole window.