Built in 1960, the S. Walter Stewart branch has a pleasing interior openness to match the friendly round shape of the building. Near the checkout desk, circular shelves of videos and DVD’s echo the shape of a skylight above. Wooden beams in a radial pattern support the glass dome, and a blue band featuring the four compass points in gold letters circles the area below the dome. With such a classy setup, I imagine 18th-century dancers could glide about under the skylight with ease and grace, as long as they minded the re-shelving carts.
Along the periphery of the main floor are large open study stalls with wide desks between the brick partitions. The readers can gaze through expansive windows to the lawns and bungalows beyond. Tall and steady shelves of books in Chinese, Greek, Macedonian, and Serbian fan out behind the tables, as well as rows of fiction, non-fiction, and reference books.
The basement level seems equally shiny and appealing. The blue linoleum floor is embedded with moons, stars, and planets which lead the way to vending machines, an auditorium, and a lively children’s section complete with a rocket and enormous turnable letter blocks with pictures, text, and shapes.
This branch has the first automatic checkout machines that I’ve seen. All in all, one of the most glossy branches I’ve visited!