I truly believe that a city with a great library is a great city. I can't afford to buy books, but for free I can check out more books than I could even dream of reading. I love that; I love the concept of libraries. What a pleasure it is then to also go to a beautiful, huge library absolutely full of resources.
Nashville's downtown (main) library branch is gorgeous. The lobby is three stories high, full of light and space. There's a rotating art installation on the second floor balcony. A lovely quiet courtyard is hidden on the third floor, just off the children's section. It's completely surrounded by the library's outer walls but open to the sky. Decorated with trees and a fountain, the courtyard feels like a little piece of New York to me. It's a great place to sit and read.
I lived in New York City last year and was severely disappointed with its branch libraries. The main location is immense, all marble and majesty, but the branch locations are like DMVs. New York's internet system for the library is still in a DOS format. Nashville has a better library system by far. And that makes me proud of our city.
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