The library has always been my happy place. I love to wander up and down the rows and rows of yet-to-be-discovered titles, browsing in the fiction section, or shivering in the mystery aisle, or visiting old friends in the young adult stacks. And when I come to feel at home in a particular library, well, it becomes a very special place indeed.
Leaving my beloved Sherwood Library was a wrench, but I was excited to discover the riches of the Buffalo library system. Peanut and I have enjoyed almost weekly walks to our local branch (tour coming soon), but today I want to show you around the Central Branch. It’s not my regular branch – it’s about a fifteen minute drive away – but I’ve spent quite a bit of time there, soaking up the book-lovin’ atmosphere.
Walking up to the imposing building, you will begin to feel a fluttery sensation deep down. Don’t worry about it. That’s your soul rejoicing at the thought of all the books you’re about to encounter.
When you walk in, immediately to your left, you’ll see the adult fiction and children’s sections. The BEST parts of the library, if you ask me! There’s a cute story area for the kiddos and plenty of room for Mom to browse.
Deeper into the building, you’ll come across the non-fiction and reference sections, complete with study tables. (To get here, you’ll have walked past Fables Café – yes, a café in the library, I know, I was excited too – and the Mark Twain Room, with a well-curated selection of Mark Twain manuscripts, early editions, photographs and artifacts from his time in Buffalo. I didn’t take any pictures in the Mark Twain Room because I doubt photography is allowed, and because I wouldn’t have felt right about taking pictures even if it was. But if you’re in Buffalo, go check it out, especially if you’re a Twain fan. I’m not, don’t hate me, Buffalonians – I have tried many times but just can’t get on board the Twain train – but hubby is, so we spent a good twenty minutes looking over the exhibit.)
Upstairs, there are offices and meeting space, including a big room where I spent four Saturdays training to be an adult literacy tutor. But if you just want to grab a sandwich and park it at Fables, I won’t judge. I’ll be in the fiction section if you need me.
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.
covered in flour 
Something tells me Peanut’s going to be spending some time in story hour in the years to come.
A card catalog? Whoa, I haven’t seen those in a while.
I used to visit Sherwood Hall Library a long time ago — it was one of my favorites before they built a library much closer to me.. I revisited it a few months ago because I hadn’t been there in so long. I knew they had added on the newer section but I was surprised to see how big it was.
Oh, yes, how I miss Sherwood Hall! They’ve done a great job with that branch. When I first started going there it seemed really small to me, because I’d been using Arlington Central Branch, which as I’m sure you know, is HUGE. (TWSS.) But it was home for so long. /sniffle.
“Booka booka booka!”
— Peanut
Oh, so that was you in the next row over! 😉
LOVE. So glad you have a new library you adore!
It’s a great library system! I’ll always have a soft spot in my heart for Fairfax County, but Buffalo isn’t bad. 🙂 (They could use more Miss Read on the shelves, though.)
Books, a cafe, and a card catalogue: what bliss! And I love how spacious it all looks.
Oh, and bliss it is! The Central branch is a HUGE space. I love exploring it! Hoping to get there for a story hour at some point soon – unfortunately, they tend to schedule them during my daughter’s naptime. Womp, womp.
Oh, I miss card catalogs. I miss libraries, too. Our days are too packed to visit frequently (my schedule has been so awful lately that I haven’t even had time to read! It’s terrible). My girls love their weekly visits to their school’s library, though.
I hear ya! Life seems unbelievably hectic lately (the new year rush, I guess…). I remember, when I was working full-time, how hard it was to get anywhere. Hoping that things slow down a little bit for you and you can enjoy some story time with the girls, or just an hour with a book!
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