In a rare instance of civic development jiu-jitsu, the South Texas city of
McAllen has transformed the ugly duckling of an abandoned Walmart into a charming prince of a public library. The approximately 124,000 square foot structure is now the largest single-story library in the United States. Its presence has encouraged patronage, as the library has experienced a 23% registration increase since the former Walmart structure's rehabilitation.
The story about McAllen's library initiative appeared in the Co.Exist portion of
Fast Company.
The irony is that a library's physical presence still has important community impact. This is especially true in areas with high poverty levels, such as Texas' Rio Grande Valley, where McAllen is situated. There are some things e-books just don't replace: a physical sense of community is among them.
Bravo, McAllen!
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