Don’t Sleep in the Seattle Central Library

I’m a big library fan, and Seattle has a great public library system as do the surrounding cities and counties.

A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to spend an afternoon at the downtown Seattle Central Library (1000 Fourth Avenue , between Spring & Madison and Fourth & Fifth Avenue). I was waiting for a new passport to be printed up at the Federal Building and I had several hours to kill. It was rainy and cold and spending an afternoon inside, surrounded by books (and free wifi) seemed like a great idea.

I settled into a table where I could plug in my laptop and get a little bit of work done in an area called the “Living Room.” In addition to the tables with plug ins, there were chairs and couches inviting people to settle in and enjoy the facilities.

On this rainy afternoon the library was also frequented by many of the residents of Seattle’s streets. You could spot them easily, they were the ones carrying around all there worldly possessions in a large hefty bag. Most of them sat reading magazines, minding their own business. Other than a bit of odor wafting around a few, they didn’t bother anyone else. There did, however, appear to be some sort of pecking order among the group.

Security was heavy in the Living Room, with a constant rotation of guards. I’m not certain if it’s that way every day or if it was increased because so many people had come indoors. Anyone who looked like they were getting a little too comfortable was summarily rousted. A sharp word, a nudge, and reminder that there was no sleeping in the library.

I spent my time working on my laptop, Twittering with friends and co-workers, doing some research, and trying to learn some new photo editing techniques. After making the same mistake for the umpteenth time, I put my head in my hands in frustration, counting to ten and getting ready to take a big breath and start over once again.

Before I had counted to five, a guard appeared at my elbow. She didn’t touch or nudge me, but stood close enough that I could feel her next to me. In a stern voice she told me that there was no sleeping in the library! As I turned my head to look at her I sighed and said, “This isn’t sleep, this is frustration.” She glared and me and then moved on.

I understand that we don’t want people setting up housekeeping in the library, and I understand that some vigilance is probably important. But have we become so demanding and intolerant that we need to stalk the library floor – just in case someone closes an eye for even a brief moment? Am I alone in thinking that there is room for just a bit more tolerance?