Walked into a library yesterday and saw 6 freelancers working from the same long wooden table

Stopped at the downtown public library in Cleveland to print something. The main reading room had this huge oak table where maybe 6 people were all typing away on laptops. Nobody talking, just working. Felt like a scene from 10 years ago before all those coworking spots popped up. Made me miss the quiet focus you get without coffee grinders and phone calls bouncing off walls. Do libraries still work for getting stuff done, or am I just getting old and cranky about noise?

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1 Comment

henry1504h ago

You mentioned it felt "like a scene from 10 years ago," but I think that undersells what libraries have become. Libraries actually adapted pretty well to the remote work shift. Most of them offer free WiFi, quiet study rooms, and printing services now. They arent relics of the past. Theyre one of the last public spaces where you can work without spending money on coffee or dealing with loud coworking crowds. I think youre right about the quiet focus being missing from coffee shops. Libraries still have that. Maybe youre just noticing something that was always there but you hadnt needed it for work in the same way before.