This is a branch library in one of the poorer parts of an already depressed town, so they are wanting to use it as more of a free community activity center, and the community it’s in will need it.

The library is not gigantic. It was formerly a funeral home. But they did an amazing job fixing it up.

Some of the features this library has or will have soon:

A test kitchen with restaurant-grade equipment.
A workshop with a tool library for lending.
A clean-up room featuring a washer, dryer and shower free for use.
A playground and splash pad for kids.
A huge patio deck for reading, relaxing or whatever else you might want to do.
Just a pleasant place to hang out.

And, of course, the expected things like a children's area, meeting rooms, a teen area, a small computer lab and a small collection of books and DVDs.

Before you start complaining about how “libraries don’t have books anymore!” The book stacks are still a 10-minute drive/bus ride away at the downtown branch. The books aren’t going anywhere. Libraries are more than just books. They are one of the few places the community can get all sorts of resources and a place to access them for free

(page 2) 26 comments

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[–] DaTingGoBrrr@lemmy.ml 2 points 6 days ago (3 children)

I can't see any images or any link to an album. Using Boost for Lemmy app on Android

[–] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 3 points 6 days ago

The link is in the headline as always with these things, so I don't understand.

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[–] Theprogressivist@lemmy.world 46 points 1 week ago

I absolutely love this. Good stuff, man.

[–] Annoyed_Crabby@monyet.cc 40 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I love how you include a cleanup space. Very cozy 3rd place for people to hangout. Good job dude!

How do you continue to fund this though?

[–] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 52 points 1 week ago (3 children)

Primarily funded through taxes, but even the local Republicans aren't suggesting cutting the library budget. They're pissed off about the clean-up room because "it will encourage them" (while also complaining about the smelly homeless people in the library), but they also know the library here is super popular. There was a "we love our library" yard sign they were doing a few years ago and they ran out of signs. They have a summer community book read and they did The Martian this year and ran out of free copies.

Such a weird town. A lot of poor people, many of them without advanced education, but a lot of readers as well.

[–] oleorun@real.lemmy.fan 23 points 1 week ago

Keep fighting the good fight against ignorance and illiteracy!

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[–] partial_accumen@lemmy.world 30 points 1 week ago

Every public library is a beacon of hope. Its the most true symbol of a civilized society. Each one brings light of knowledge where there would otherwise be darkness of ignorance.

Please pass my thanks to your wife for advancing civilization.

[–] Nougat@fedia.io 23 points 1 week ago

Thank you.

[–] sxan@midwest.social 18 points 1 week ago (2 children)

I really wish Imgur didn't block VPNs 🙁

I'm sure it's lovely - congratulations!

[–] BigWumbo@lemmy.world 3 points 6 days ago (1 children)

No issues using Mullvad

[–] sxan@midwest.social 2 points 6 days ago (2 children)

I'm using Mullvad, too. I can almost never get a response from Imgur unless I hop exit nodes a bunch.

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[–] tacosanonymous@lemm.ee 10 points 1 week ago

Is that why I see that message instead?

[–] negativenull@lemmy.world 17 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Holy crap, that is a legitimately amazing place! Well done by Mrs. Squid!!

P.S. Libraries rock and are true treasures

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[–] Fermion@feddit.nl 11 points 1 week ago (2 children)

How many people did it take to get this done? It looks fantastic for something that is just getting started.

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[–] Assman@sh.itjust.works 8 points 1 week ago

Looks great fellow Hoosier. Terre Haute needs more of this.

[–] Carrolade@lemmy.world 8 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Congrats.

Is Terre Haute really that poor? Not what I'd expect from the hometown of one of our country's most premier private technical colleges. Usually a college contributes quite a bit to the local economy, and that's a fancy one.

[–] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 14 points 1 week ago

Average household income is ~$40,000, which is about half the national average, and there's a lot of joblessness, homelessness and substance abuse.

Rose-Hulman is a great school, but the school is outside of town and there's no bus from there to town either, so they don't go. We actually have three schools here- RHIT, Indiana State Univeristy and Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College. The students of all of them rarely leave campus. And I don't blame them because in general, there's fuck all for them to do.

[–] Assman@sh.itjust.works 9 points 1 week ago (1 children)

It's a pretty tiny school. Only around 2k students.

[–] Carrolade@lemmy.world 4 points 1 week ago

Oh, I see. That is really tiny.

[–] kinship@lemmy.sdf.org 7 points 1 week ago

Huge W

[–] Steamymoomilk@sh.itjust.works 7 points 1 week ago

Heeeey whats up my fellow hoosier. Cheers to your bookstore!!

[–] FanciestPants@lemmy.world 5 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

I didn't understand what imgur had become before I clicked the link and briefly thought the library had lots of copies of Twisters in 4k.

[–] Rozz@lemmy.sdf.org 5 points 1 week ago

More books would be nice, but the rest looks awesome. A great place for the community.

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