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  rmason
  We have an excellent library in East Lansing. My sister and I went there every week with our late Mother when we were kids. I was in there recently at an AI meeting and I noticed that it was changing into a bit of a community hub as well.Wouldn't have ever thought of it as a meeting place for user groups but they are starting to actively encourage it. I saw it as a very positive development. During COVID they advertised that anyone could use their parking lot for the free Wi-Fi. They must have had the coverage cause the rather large parking lot was packed. They must have tuned it because I sure can't get coverage in most of the parking lots of the fast food franchises where most of their customers these days only use drive-thru.
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  akman
  As the author noted, I see libraries becoming more and more centers of community, notably in the Bay Area (California, USA). Just check out the events at all of the Santa Clara County library system (8 libraries that share books): https://sccl.bibliocommons.com/v2/events?_gl=1*11u0hec*_ga*M...Many events aren't even book related-- see events for Lego building, homework help, even Dungeons and Dragons events.I wonder if there's a resurgence across the world where libraries are places of community sharing.
• CharlieDigital
  I recently had a similar episode as the author in another east Asia country: Taiwan.Found myself in Taitung (along the much less densely populated, remote east coast) with several inches of rain forecast. Spent the day at the Taitung County Public Library [0] and it was a very pleasant public space which had more tourists than patrons!Shots of the interior for anyone interested (surprisingly Scandinavian): https://youtu.be/gq8xlk_JEG4?t=108[0] https://maps.app.goo.gl/tnEvHQLMNBGAnMWF9
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  ionwake
  I liked the article. Everytime I discoered a unique place I want to tell the world about it and then I realize that could ruin it so I dont.Its ironic
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  Molitor5901
  It would be interesting if libraries also operated, say, cafes. Rules apply of course, but it might create a job and add something extra to a library.
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  NeutralCrane
  The most interesting thing in the article to me is that there was a dual library/bookstore, and that it’s privately owned. I don’t think I’ve encountered a library that wasn’t publicly owned in the US.
• Sweepline
  Makes sense; libraries are the original 'subscription service' for knowledge. Good for sustainability and reader access.
• pullstart
  Always enjoyed browsing Japanese bookstores, but libraries certainly make books more accessible. It's like the ultimate physical subscription service.
• tolerance
  I can see this catching on in the US with a lot of cultural exceptions that would amplify the library as an either an ideological battleground or sanctuary.
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  ChickeNES
  > Are you a book lover?> If you are, I suspect you already do this: when you travel abroad, you find yourself walking into a local bookstore.> I do it everywhere, not only in Japan but also abroad. My shelves hold some Chinese and Russian books even though I cannot read a word of them. A bookstore is one of the best places to understand the local culture: what people there are curious about, what they worry about, what they love.This sounds more like a fetish for physical books to me? I find it bizarre myself, books are just knowledge containers, if you can't read them...what's the point?
• Starlevel004
  [flagged]
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  swingandamiss
  Time for the daily post on Japan. HN is obsessed with Japan and it's very weird.