I feel the same about my old hometown Victorian library. The building is still there but they stripped out the atmospheric maze of tall oak stacks in the adult section and made the whole thing one giant family friendly space.

Objectively, I do think it better fits its overall aim but adults have lost a special space that was just for them. There aren’t many places like that left. Everywhere you go is centered on children but this was an exception. It had a gentleman’s club feeling before, with all that wood and silence and private nooks.

Now it’s a screaming kids, harshly lit, metal racks on wheels kind of place. It is undoubtedly a much better for families but for those of us who remembered how wonderful it was to finally grow out of the kids section and get a ticket for the adult side, it’s a sad loss.