Atlanta library in park inspires outreach during renovations

July 8,2019

Andrea Smith, AP

ATLANTA (AP) — Sitting under a small event tent, Knate Leopold plays chess on a laptop set up in a temporary outdoor library downtown.

Leopold says he doesn’t have his own home but finds refuge in Atlanta’s downtown area and frequently visits nearby libraries. He used to play chess daily at the Central Library before the branch closed for renovation; now his virtual matches take place during Library on the Lawn hours, anywhere from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday through Wednesday.

The Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System and the nonprofit community development organization Central Atlanta Progress organized Library on the Lawn in Woodruff Park last summer and reopened in April, primarily to meet the local community’s needs during the renovation. The initiative also has allowed librarians to provide resources to those who wouldn’t normally venture inside a library, said Amanda Densmore, a community engagement librarian who noted that other branches are trying similar outreach initiatives.

“We have a lot of regulars and they’re so gracious,” Densmore said.

Employees from multiple branches volunteer to staff the outdoor library and monitor computer usage. When weather permits, they receive an average of 30 visitors a day, Densmore said. Ten laptops, bought with grant money, are available for public use and can connect to Wi-Fi. A library card is not required.

Library on the Lawn first opened a couple blocks from Central Library in early July 2018 and closed in December. Library staff tried to reopen in January with space heaters and makeshift walls surrounding a tent, but windy weather prompted a shutdown for the season, Densmore said.

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