Harmonizing with the friendly round shape of the roof, the interior of S. Walter Stewart branch projects a pleasing openness. Near the checkout desk, circular shelves of videos and DVD’s echo the wheel shape of a skylight above. Wooden beams in a radial pattern support the translucent dome, and a blue band featuring the four compass points in gold encircles the area below the dome. (With such a classic setting, dancers at a Jane Austen costume ball could glide about with ease under the skylight so 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. Readers can gaze through expansive windows to the lawns and bungalows beyond. Fanning out behind the desks, tall and steady shelves of books in Chinese, Greek, Macedonian, and Serbian join rows of fiction, non-fiction, and reference books.
The basement level seems equally engaging. A blue linoleum floor cosmically graced with moons, stars, and planets leads the way to vending machines, a large auditorium, and a lively KidsStop complete with a giant red and silver rocket.
The KidsStop room also has three original Barbara Reid plasticine illustrations that she made for Read Me a Book (2003). A giant copy of this book is attached to the wall, and as I flipped through it, I recalled the other Reid pieces on display at Parliament Street and Oakwood Village Libraries.
From inside to outside, I love this library’s architectural commitment to circles and arcs. The central atrium, shelving patterns, reading lounge, curved window bench in the Teens’ section, downstairs auditorium, and even the carpet design celebrate the circle and semi-circle. These eternal shapes make visiting S. Walter Stewart an artistic as well as educational experience!
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