In the two years since the Cossitt Library reopened, its space has been put to good use. Chef Eli Townsend’s Dos Hermanos Cafe opened last year. What a fantastic concept – a restaurant in a public library! Demand for Eli’s food was so high that library staff roped off nearly half the first floor so restaurant customers would have a place to sit.
Late in 2023, the library made a change. They moved the children’s section upstairs, and began booking many more private events in a second-floor collaborative space sponsored by AutoZone.
All the space that remains for traditional library activities like reading, studying, or working on your laptop is on the left (as you walk in the front door) half of the first floor.
But that half houses public computers, shelves full of books, and meeting rooms.
So, when the upstairs is reserved, there’s only room for two 4-top tables for people who want to use the library for traditional library purposes.
What’s more, not everyone who sits there uses the library for traditional library purposes.
Recently there was a guy at my table listening to music videos on his phone. He didn’t use earphones. He wasn’t blasting the music by any means, but two and a half feet away, any volume at all was enough to distract me from the Medium article I was trying to write.
Meanwhile, the guy sitting across from me was charging his phone on one of the library’s plentiful outlets. He was also talking on his phone. The conversation was not urgent or important, just shooting the bull with a friend. It went on for 40 minutes as he described how his girlfriend’s brother looks like Wesley Snipes.
The Cossitt Library needs a quiet room. It seems absurd to suggest that, though, because traditionally, ENTIRE LIBRARIES were quiet rooms. Any unnecessary noise would have earned me a “sssssshhhhhh” from an annoyed librarian.
On to the news…
1 Houston, 9 Texas A&M, 3 Baylor, and 6 Clemson were NCAA tournament first-round winners at FedExForum yesterday. Tomorrow Houston faces A&M (7:40 PM, TNT) and Baylor faces Clemson (5:10 PM, TNT).
The Grizzlies got a 99-97 win over San Antonio last night, a win that came down to the final seconds with a basket by Jaren Jackson Jr.
It’s a rare Saturday when Bogie’s Deli in Brinkley Plaza is open:
The aforementioned Dos Hermanos Cafe in the Cossitt Library is serving brunch until 4 today.
The Dunkin’ Donuts truck is back next to Court Square. Today it’s parked on Main Street.
Today is National Chip and Dip Day and National Tamale Day.
South of Beale Downtown seeks a bartender.
Tennessee has become the first state to pass a law protecting musicians from AI.
That’s it for today. Probably back tomorrow with more news.
Readers’ generosity helps keep this blog afloat. Donations:
Venmo: @Paul-Ryburn
Cash App: $Paulryburn1
Apple Pay: paul.ryburn@gmail.com