Well, here it is: The coffee shop now inside the local public library downtown. It's call Cup and Chaucer, and with the exception of the oldies radio station playing over a small radio behind the counter, it's pretty swank-- that is for a canteen. Mind you before Cup and Chaucer if you were visiting the library and wanted a quick bite or snack even you had to cross the street to the only supermarket downtown. There you risked being preyed upon by every panhandler in a twelve block radius. And unless you like to have your groceries dusted off before you can open them, this place is off limits. Bleech! Enough about the grocery. The Jackson Madison County Library has really turned it on. There are computers covering the main reading room utilizing the library's free wireless network, and a complete online catalog. The audio/video section has been relocated upstairs and has lots more room among the periodicals. The New Book section is amply shelved with actual new releases and there's new furniture and flooring after the recent refurbishing. And now there's a coffee shop! Nice.
Recently when on the air with "Daybreak" I've been pretty vocal with my criticisms of the local library board. My fear has been (and maybe a little bit now even) that they will abandon the downtown library in favor of building a branch somewhere out North. I'm not sold on the idea of a North Branch, but my fears about running out on the downtown location have been somewhat diminished now that it's obvious all the changes and improvements that have taken place.
I've always loved and appreciated the local public library wherever I've lived. Before I ever started to kindergarten my parents enrolled me in whatever children's reading program was going on at the library in our town. I learned early on how the use the library (what's available and where). I remember being so proud of my first library card. Your local public library is a real treasure and an absolute privilege to you and everyone in every town. Ours is stepping up and is trying to stay relevant in a time where huge bookstore retailers are the norm and online book purchasing is a few keystrokes away. Visit your library people. Get a library card. Check out a book, a CD, a movie. Research your family in the Tennessee Room or sit and enjoy the latest New York Times or Wall Street Journal. Then grab a cup 'o joe in the latest and greatest at the downtown library.
