Ski lodge, amusement park and penthouse elements combine to create a mix of interior and outdoor space at the new Salt Lake City public library. With glass on all sides of the trianglular structure, you're continously awash in natural light. It's open, inviting and yet cozy. There's a feeling of a large, well-furnished den that you might expect to find in Bill Gates' home. See some nice shots of the new library in Phil Windley's blog, but don't settle for just seeing this on the web.

Warning: Be generous with yourself in how much time you budget for this outing. I thought I'd drop in for half an hour last Saturday morning. I was in Library Zen for about 90 minutes before I even thought to look at my watch.

A short list of other great, nearby libraries: Eccles, Quinney and Marriott Libraries at the U, the newly remodeled and expanded Anderson Branch near Foothill Boulevard, the historic old Sprague Branch in Sugarhouse, and available virtually anytime, anyplace (via the Internet) Pioneer, Utah's Online Library.

"You must live feverishly in a library. Colleges are not going to do any good unless you are raised and live in a library everyday of your life." — Ray Bradbury, from Quotations about Libraries

Found while looking for something else: About Public Radio

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