The third stop of our road trip to Philadelphia was the White Plains Public Library. Much like the Fairfield public Library, pictures of their children’s department impressed us!

The White Plains Public Library is a cement, brutalist-style building. The outside felt austere but there were elements of playfulness inside. When we first entered the library, it felt as if we were walking into a bookstore. The new materials were front and center and incredibly well lit. This section drew the eye, and it was clear that it was a popular first stop. Desktops and laptop bars were scattered throughout this floor and were in much use as we looked around. The teen area looked fun and cozy! Lastly, there were some metal wire chairs on this floor that piqued our curiosity. They were certainly unique! We did attempt to visit the library’s bookstore, but it was closed when we visited.

We moved on to the second floor where we were able to check out the children’s department. The entryway was whimsical. Large books and bookshelves framed the doorway, so it felt like one was diving into a story. Like the Fairfield Public library, there were fun play forts where a child could use their imagination to their heart’s content. The cloud cut outs on the ceiling were darling.

It wasn’t until we were preparing to leave that we noticed there was significant floor space closed to the public. Upon closer inspection, we saw it was staff only space and it was used for storage. Our favorite interaction happened as we were getting ready to leave as well. A patron needed help using the self-checkout and just by luck she had asked a librarian, just not from that library, for help! The machine wasn’t quite what we were used to, but we were able to help her, no problem.