Wednesday, Sep. 08, 2010

Downtown 'express' library reopens

Grand opening tour is Sept. 13

Library books are back in downtown Raleigh.

Wake County's Express Library on Fayetteville Street reopened Sept. 1 afterclosing for renovations earlier this summer. The refurbished library now sports a conference room available for nonprofit groups to meet in, as well as new paint and carpeting.

The library has three librarians and 6,000 books, many of them new titles across genres.

Speed has reigned supreme at the branch since it became an express location in 2009. Its 2,350 square feet offer customers self-checkout, book pickup from orders placed at other Wake branches and Internet access for quick e-mail and news updates.

"This model of library hopefully fits with the downtown area," said Christie Starnes, the branch's manager. "We're trying to push ... the 'express' in our name."

But patrons looking for a more leisurely pace won't get left in the dust.

Starnes said the branch is planning a grand opening tour Sept. 13 that will explain the library's features. Viswas Chitnis, a sitar player, will play a concert the next day.

The library also will have a wall showcasing a different local artist each month.

Frank Cope, Wake's community services director, said such offerings will cultivate more culture in downtown.

"The library is a key component to any vital community," he said. "We're trying to make downtown more than just a place with offices."

Additional events will restart now that the library has returned. Branch librarian Katie Knight will resume leading a monthly trivia contest today, while Starnes' "book club for nerds" meets for its fourth discussion about Joe Sacco's graphic novel "Palestine" on Sept. 23. Both events will be at The Morning Times restaurant on Hargett Street.

Knight said such events build personal relationships between patrons and librarians. Customers and staff often know each other by first name, she said, and she often offers readers recommendations.

"We're not here to rush people," Knight said. "I want to engage our readership and help them find new things."

Rocky Bowen, a Wake County project manager in information services, said he enjoys quickly grabbing a book from the library on his lunch break. The Apex native said it's much faster than browsing titles at the library near his home.

"This is a tremendous resource for the community," he said.