![]() ![]() So yeah, if you haven’t been to a library branch in awhile, you’ll notice that the staff is milling around more, and rarely sitting. I don’t like to sit behind a desk, and it feels weird having people approach me from above (standing up), while I’m sitting down. Me, personally, I like the on-your-feet work style. Now, there’s the same check-out area, but a lot of the staff is walking around, helping folks. Now, I’m not on-staff, so I don’t know all the details, but it used to be, you’d go into a library, and there would be a help/reference area, a check-out area, and librarians sitting there waiting to help you. Yes, they still have some of the old furniture and stacks, but slowly, piece by piece, it’s being replaced. Like the modern computer «pod» desks in the general computer population, there are also new modular desks for the kids (and adults) in many of the areas. It’s pretty cool! 3) New furniture in a lot of areas, a new teen area, and a rebuilt Life Skills/Homework Help Center area. Now ALL the computers can support Minecraft. Before, kids would have to «fight» over the one or two computers that could play Minecraft. The computers before were aging, and as a computer guy, I have to admit, they made me a little sad. No, wait, they’re awesome! If you live in this area, and you need a computer with Internet? The Hilltop branch is the place to go. It… grows on you? But, hey, new carpet! 2) A couple of weeks ago, almost every single computer was replaced with brand new, touch-screen, Windows 8, all-in-one, HD computers. During this major renovation period, the Hilltop Branch has had the following done: 1) New carpets that are super annoying to look at, give some people vertigo, and show dirt like you wouldn’t believe! But don’t blame Hilltop Branch: the carpet type was probably chosen by a panel of bureaucrats who had never stepped foot into the branch before. I live in the suburbs, so going downtown is a trip for me anyway. So going there is pretty much out of the question. Downtown ( CML Main) is all but closed down due to an in-progress major ( MAJOR) renovation. So, what’s to like? First off, the Columbus Metropolitan Library ( CML) System has invested a lot of money in both new libraries and the renovation of existing libraries. I just know the neighborhood stereotypes, and I’ve spent years learning about the individual people at this branch. Many people think they know the history of the area, and I certainly don’t. Before I started volunteering at this library branch, I would have never stopped while driving through. I- 40 has history, runs parallel to I- 70, and is just more fun to drive down. Sure, I could have taken any number of highways and byways to get downtown, but I always enjoyed driving straight down Route 40 (or Broad Street). Many years ago, I drove through The Hilltop daily to go downtown. Full disclosure: I have volunteered at this library for years. ![]()
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