Discover All the Great New Places to Sit Around the Library
If you’ve visited the library in the last few months, you may have enjoyed our selection of new spots to read, study, work, hang out, and more. We all love a comfortable place to sit, but great library furniture can also bring people together. And with so many new spaces to try out, we wanted to take you on a tour of all the updated furniture waiting for you at the library.
The Lobby
The first new piece of furniture you’ll find when you enter the library is the round lobby sofa. With seats on all sides, the sofa is a great place to sit while you wait for an event to let out from the Auditorium or hang out while a friend uses one of the lobby restrooms.
Enjoy our summer lobby display, featuring the flags of all the countries that qualified for the World Cup. See how many you recognize, and if you get stuck, there’s an answer key below the Algerian flag to the right of the lobby doors.
Insider Tip: You may notice one flag that looks a bit different than the others. Head to the Ask Desk to learn more about unearthing the mystery of the Crystal Scroll.
As you wait, check out the latest library news on our Jumbotron digital display, and give a friendly wave to our staff at the Hello Desk. When you’re ready to enter the library proper, turn right and walk past the Accounts Desk to enter the heart of the library.
The Atrium
At the center of the Atrium, you’ll find four new chairs in front of a themed book display. Feel free to sit and read, chat with a friend or fellow patron, or just take a peaceful moment to soak up the calm library vibes.
Insider Tip: Between the pillars where you can find the Seed Library during the spring, you’ll now find our community puzzle table. Contribute to the puzzle as much or as little as you please. When each puzzle is finished, a new puzzle will replace the completed one.
From this central location, you’re only a few steps away from picking up your holds, exploring the stacks, visiting the Ask Desk, or taking the stairs down to the Tech Desk. Or, if you’re visiting the library with your kids, you might enjoy some of the offerings in the Kids Area.
The Picture Book Room
Head towards the Kids’ Desk, then pass the fish tank and the Readers’ Theater to reach the Picture Book Room, the ultimate library spot for young kiddos and their families to read, relax, play, and explore. Refreshed with new, colorful, patterned chairs and couches, this furniture update was as much about the comfort of parents and caregivers as your kids’ fun and engagement. You can even have your own personal storytime by leaning up against any of the six new cushions in the reading cubbies along the west-facing windows.
In addition to the new furniture, you and your kiddos will still have access to all of your Picture Book Room favorites. Climb on one of the three sets of large cushion cairns (but don’t forget to take your shoes off first!). Cradle your little ones in one of the plastic rocking chairs, or enjoy snack time at the kid-sized tables and chairs by the north-facing windows. Take a moment to admire the fish in the Picture Book Room fish tank (did you know there was a second library fish tank?), or enjoy a few spots of brain-engaging play with the two pieces of multi-sided sensory play furniture and the Lego® table, stocked with oversized Duplo® building blocks. Between all the new furniture, activities, and walls lined with picture books, this space is a treasure trove of family fun.
Private Solo Study Spots
Loop back out of the Children’s section into the Atrium, past the Ask Desk, and head over to the Study Rooms to find our first solo study spot: the Pillar Booth. One library patron at a time can work or study using the small desk space inside. The booth also includes outlets with USB-A and USB-C ports to plug in your chargers for any devices you might bring with you. The enclosed booth even features noise-reducing panels to keep out any unwanted distractions.
If you find the Pillar Booth is already occupied, you can always check to see if any of the Study Pods on the Lower Level are available. Head down the stairs, then turn right toward the Helen Osma Local History Room. Round the corner to the left, and you will find four Study Pods, including an ADA-accessible pod with enough room for wheelchair users to navigate. Similar to the Pillar Booth, the Study Pods are large enough for one person to work at a time, including outlets with USB-A and USB-C ports and a small tabletop for you to work on.
Insider Tip: The Study Pods feature dimmable lights. Use the dial in each pod to adjust the lighting to your personal preference.
Unlike our reservable spaces — our Study Rooms, Meeting Rooms, and suites in the SOUND+VISION Studio — both the Pillar Booth and the Study Pods are first-come, first-served and have a two-hour limit per day per person.
The Outer Loop
Last, but certainly not least, we have yet to explore the cornucopia of new seating options: the Outer Loop. The outer north and west walls of the library showcase the variety of the new seating on the main level, spanning from the Health Spot behind the Study Rooms all the way around to the southeast corner by the Book Help Desk.
Chairs and sidetables
If you pass the Pillar Booth toward the north wall, you’ll find new moss panels decorating the Health Spot wall. Take a minute to read or listen to an audiobook in one of the comfy armchairs, or settle into a high-back chair and use a sidetable to do some crafting, drawing, writing, or studying.
Two-person booths
Further down the north wall, you’ll find a few two-person booths. Each booth includes a seat on each side separated by a small table. These booths are great for quiet conversation or casual collaboration, and you can access the USB-A and USB-C charging ports to charge your devices.
Insider Tip: If you’re looking for a place for more open collaboration, we recommend any of the six large tables by the newspapers and magazines, across from the staircase.
Study carrels and floor lamps
Take a left at the northwest corner of the building to enter the Quiet Spot. There you can find a row of seven dual-sided study carrels for a total of fourteen spots to sit, study, work, and more. The larger tabletop on each side provides extra room to spread out your books, devices, or papers and dig into that work you needed a quiet, intentional space to get done. Each carrel is lit from above by a warm floor lamp. These spots have been well-used this summer, and we anticipate that they will be a hot commodity when school returns in the fall.
Window seating and private study carrel
Follow the Quiet Spot into the Fiction Loop, and you’ll reach our final stop by the Book Help Desk. By those corner windows, you’ll find a private study carrel and some more armchairs facing the windows. The comfy armchairs facing out the windows are perfect for reading in the natural light, listening to an audiobook, or just taking a moment to relax and watch the passersby on the sidewalk below.
Meanwhile, the walled study carrel provides another place to work that limits distractions from the space around you. Like the previously mentioned two-person booths, there is a seat on either side of the carrel and a tabletop between them for working on your device of choice or collaborating with a friend.
Find the Library Spaces That Work for You
We hope this short tour has given you an idea of how you can make the most of these library spaces. Next time you’re downtown or just dropping by to pick up a hold, scout out a spot and sit for a while. Our library community is most alive when folks take the time to engage thoughtfully with everything our building has to offer. We hope you find the spots around the library that work best for you and help you feel a little more connected to your community.
About Lawrence Public Library
Lawrence Public Library (LPL for short) is a community hub that believes in the power of connecting with each other through shared knowledge and resources. Located in the heart of Downtown Lawrence, Kansas, we are committed to providing a space where our community can learn, connect, create, and grow through access to our vast collections, resources, services, programs, and knowledgeable staff. The library is supported by tax dollars, record-breaking book sales and philanthropic efforts by the LPL Friends & Foundation, and the dedicated efforts of more than 300 volunteers. All are welcome.