The new Seattle Public Library, from which my wife just retired last month, has large areas in it, such as one they call "the family room," which is huge and open. It's a huge indoor atrium about eight or nine stories deep and it is very echoey. The same problem exists in many areas of the new library building, and I really wonder what the architect and those on the library board who approved the plans were thinking!

But the building is mind-bogglingly impressive both inside and out. And it has some really marvelous facilities such as meeting rooms available to the public, and if I recall correctly, there are some 500 computers available for public use. And the whole building is a wireless hotspot if you prefer to use your own laptop. AC plug-ins everywhere.

The whole building is echoey, but there is one floor given over to what they call the "reading room." Bright and airy—and any noise or disturbance is fairly quickly quelled.

Very modern building with some excellent features, but others that leave a lot to be desired.

Don Firth