The new Eugene Public Library is visually overwhelming — so much that during my first visit, I hardly noticed a thing.
Entering the place almost makes you forget you’re still in Eugene. After living here for more than 10 years, I’ve never seen a single building make our place of residence feel more like a large city.
During my second day at the library, I made sure to explore and take note of as much of the new library as possible. The following are my observations:
The building is large, but quite elegant. The layout is divided into four floors, and there’s a parking garage below it all. Right now, only three floors hold books, with a fourth currently closed off to the public. Library Public Services Manager Rob Everett said the “information services” division will rent out offices on this elusive floor.
The first thing I did was get myself a new library card. The lines for this are really long, but it’s a relatively painless process. Be sure to bring proof of Eugene residence — the cost for those who live outside city limits is $80, per year, per household.
Soon after I received my card, I transitioned seamlessly into the new environment and sought out some books. There are more computers than you can shake a stick at, and they all have flat screen monitors, lending to the library’s high-tech appearance.
The first two authors I looked up were Iris Murdoch and Neil Gaiman. While I found works of the former relatively easy (the fiction section is in alphabetical order), the latter’s books were strewn in various places about the library — Gaiman’s selections were sparse and not as numerous as the catalog indicated.
Of course, this is to be expected. The place hasn’t even had its grand opening yet –that will happen Saturday. There are signs everywhere asking patrons to be patient because certain services haven’t been installed yet. A constant beep-beeping noise reverberates through most of the building because people are still returning books checked out from the old library.
Library reference assistant Clark Kent said there are more features in store for the new library: Extra copies of books, new books and a DVD collection that will make its premiere for the grand opening.
The overall design of the building is mildly futuristic and obviously well-planned by architects. This is evident in the smaller details — all the informational signs are bilingual, in English and Spanish — or, larger things, like how the third floor overlooks the second, allowing one to really feel the breadth of the place.
Most impressive were the available modes of navigation. The staircase leading to the various sections is downright majestic, flowing in a sweeping spiral
pattern with a giant circular skylight topping it off. The elevators are pristine and virtually silent, adorned with giant mirrors.
My favorite location is the browsing room on the second floor — the place where all the magazines and newspapers are held. This is a huge area, with high, slotted wood ceilings and large windows. Looking toward the side that faces Eugene Station, one can see giant set of stained glass windows in the center. I was rather impressed with the periodical selection; the library carries more obscure publications like “The Onion” and “Adbusters.”
I didn’t manage to sample any goods from the lobby’s cafe, but I did glance at the prices. They seemed reasonable in comparison to other coffee shops around town.
Perhaps due to location, the new library’s hours are somewhat lacking. It closes at 8 p.m. on Monday and Tuesday, 6 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and 5 p.m. on Sunday. The timing doesn’t bode well for nocturnal folk, but when the building is open, it makes a viable alternative to the Knight Library — and it has the benefit of being away from campus.
More information about the library, including access to the catalog, is available at its Web site at http://www.ci.eugene.or.us/library/.