"This is the biggest party I've ever seen at [a library opening]," architect Henry Myerberg told participants at the June 24 re-opening celebration at the Southeast Library. An award winner in library design with many public and school libraries to his credit, Myerberg is no stranger to such openings. But the Southeast Library's block party – complete with Ben & Jerry's ice cream and music from Barrelhouse Brawl – was a little different.

"[Organizers] were originally thinking wine and cheese," said Nancy Davenport, assistant to the DC Public Library Chief Librarian. "They were a little apprehensive with the idea of strollers and ice cream. But look! The community came for this."

Beginning with the 2005 American Library Association convention, Library Journal has organized a library makeover in the host city. Vendors showcase their products while providing something of lasting value for the host. This year, DC was the host city, and Southeast Library's main floor was chosen for the showcase.

The June 24 party was co-hosted by Library Journal and the Friends of the Southeast Library for ALA participants and the local community. But visiting librarians seemed outnumbered by the steady stream of community members eager to see their library's fresh look. Some – after two months of making do with the Bookmobile's tiny collection – departed with stacks of books. Others stayed to enjoy the newly planted garden – a gift from FoSEL, local Girl Scouts and Mark Holler of Gingko Gardens – or to join in one of the band's musical parades.

Myerberg likened the street party to a barn raising and called it evidence that "libraries are not places to be quiet. They're places to gather... This shows how important libraries are to communities."

Myerberg thought Southeast needed a library that "could not be anywhere else." So children pull picture books off shelves adorned with an alphabet created from local business signs. Computer users focus on one of the 12 new screens, while "the computer table down the center aisle and the vista as you walk in and see the green carpet leading to the fireplace evokes the National Mall." Readers relax in new comfy chairs around the fireplace, where restored tiles depicting scenes from Chaucer's Canterbury Tales are reflected in translucent panels along the shelf ends; quotations from Chaucer's prologue, in both modern and Old English, are enhanced by seasonal images from the neighborhood.

"I wanted to make something worthy of this building and worthy of this community," Myerberg said.

But Does It Smell Like a Library?
Initial comments on the renovation, which opened the space and restored some of the building's original features, ranged generally from "better than before" to "gorgeous." But the new design, and the collection's "refreshing," generated concerns as well: Some parents miss the more sheltered children's area and wonder how the open design will hold up with heavy intergenerational use. Conrad Cheeks, who teaches chess on Tuesdays, finds it difficult to arrange for multiple games. A.J. Giovanni worries that the renovation might permanently sideline "Art above the Stacks," a program he says is as important to the community as to new artists. The current lack of signage and the intermingling of juvenile and adult collections distresses some users. And many patrons are disturbed by the weeding of the collection.

Southeast's librarian John Davenport says he empathizes with those who found the weeding extreme. Still, he says, he's seen a "huge uptick in circulation," including music and DVDs, since the renovation and prefers "less books that circulate to more books that are simply
warehoused."

Davenport believes "it's mostly a generational thing.... the people who don't like seeing metal and DVDs replace warm wood and old books." But Tracy O'Brien, a longtime Southeast Library patron who was deeply saddened by the redesign, is a teenager.

"I miss the old library. It looked like a library. It smelled like a library," said O'Brien. She believes the youngest readers will miss out on older books that they won't find on bookstore shelves, and the current young adult collection will discourage reading in the long term.

"There's nothing but trash teen fiction," she says. "It's like they've gone for the lowest common denominator and left out the classics. If I can't find Isaac Asimov, it's just not a library."

Avery O'Brien, another teen reader (and Tracy's brother) disagrees. The new young adult area is easier to browse, he says, and he's checked out more books since the re-opening than in many months before.

Adult reader Howard Crystal also finds browsability improved. "If you want a specific book, a library this small won't have it," he says. "You can order books, but you really come here to browse. And the new setup is better for that."

But other adult readers, like FoSEL Wendy Blair, believe the Southeast collection now suffers from citywide library policies that sell readers short.

"The idea that a library is a repository of the books you can't buy or keep at home seems to have been shelved," said Blair. "And the choice of which books – lots of Danielle Steele, no Jane Austen – seems sad."

In addition, Blair finds the new policy of juxtaposing juvenile and adult reading to be somewhat jarring, as when “Hot Teenage Dating Tips” suddenly appears amid the nonfiction holdings.

Elizabeth Dranitzke appreciates that the space has been "cleaned-up" but admits to missing some of the clutter, "like stuffed animals and books in baskets on the floor." She grew up using the Southeast Library and now brings her own children.

Petra Rose Cantwell, age 3, finds the new round chairs fun. Her older sister enjoyed the old library just fine and will like the new one, too. "It's just different," 6-year-old Lucinda explains.

Beyond the Ceremony
Just two days after the ceremonial opening, patrons arrived to find a tall ladder blocking the main entrance as fire safety inspectors responded to a community complaint. "Showcase" or not, the building was declared unsafe for public use until fire code violations were corrected: Egress from the lower level needed immediate improvement. The library was given 10 days in which to install smoke detectors. A fire watch was ordered until an alarm system could be installed.

Meanwhile, a roomful of youngsters awaited Fast Freddy the Clown's scheduled performance while the fire marshal determined whether evacuation was necessary.

Although egress improved to the fire marshal's satisfaction, construction continued to obstruct the lower level and leave toilets unavailable for weeks after the re-opening. Bathroom renovations – not included in the main-floor makeover – were contracted separately by DCPL and not completed while the library was closed.

"We hoped and did the best we could," said Ann Menzies of branch operations, noting the vagaries of "90-year-old wiring and pipes."

A sprinkler system that many in the community hoped to see – given the recent fires at Eastern Market and the Georgetown Library – will not be installed, according to Jeff Bonvechio, who manages DCPL's capital improvements.

"The library's renovations look spectacular," he said, "but consist mainly of carpeting, shelving and lighting – not extensive enough to mandate sprinklers." Instead, a fire detection and alarm system linked directly to the fire department will be installed. And although this work – also contracted separately from the makeover – was not completed before the opening, it will not damage the new ceiling.

In the interim, smoke detectors had to be installed – and reinstalled for correct placement – following the fire marshal's visits. In addition, DCPL is paying for a full-time fire watch, for several weeks at least; the library has so far only experienced one brief delay due to an officer's absence, but the presence is mandatory until the alarm installation is complete.

"Anyone who has a library and a garden wants for nothing," FoSEL President Neal Gregory told the crowd on June 24, quoting the Roman statesman Cicero. And the sentiment seemed to match the re-opening mood. In the following weeks, however, Cicero's "How long will you abuse our patience?" speech occasionally seemed more apt. Despite some awkwardness in opening conditions, local staff struggle to make the library work for the community.