The Chattanooga Library is planted firmly in the 21st Century
This city of ours is something truly special, right? It’s the greatest secret in the world that Chattanooga is one happening place. The city has a vibe that is quite unlike anything else. It’s alive. It has a heartbeat. The energy that pulsates throughout is felt by the locals and tourists alike.
One thing is for certain, anybody that comes through Chattanooga will speak on its “it” factor, whatever “it” is. And this city has “it”. It is full of passionate, kind, hardworking people that are on the relentless pursuit of happiness.
The flourishing arts and entertainment scene continue to blossom year after year, and my how it has permeated. Top that off with some of the breathtaking views that surround the Scenic City and you have what seems to be paradise, which it mostly is.
Let’s face it. There is a part of Chattanooga that is not so beautiful in terms of struggle and way of life. Chattanooga overall is basically a safe city but danger lurks out there, and so do gangs and dire straits. Yes, Chattanooga is relativity safe but it also has some rough edges. Certain areas of Chattanooga are like the wild wild west and it is hard for young people that grow up in that type of environment to rise above it.
People that do not come from there, or grow up in it, will never understand what it is really like. Being a child of poverty anywhere, especially in Chattanooga, is a struggle. It takes a special kind of person to not get caught up in the mix of it all.
For purposes of perspective, imagine growing up in a neighborhood where poverty was king and where drugs and gangs ruled the lands. Now imagine being a young person living in that environment, with no choice, and having the courage to not get involved with easy money-making tasks.
You are starving and have not had any food in a few days because you have no way to get to the community kitchen that gives out three meals a day downtown except walking for a few hours, but you do not want to sell drugs or join a gang so you stand tall and be strong and resist; which is next to impossible, and by the way you are still a child, remember?
Walking is not always very safe for children especially through rough neighborhoods that are definitely gang-related. (Sorry if you are feeling uncomfortable, however, this is actually happening in Chattanooga right now.) To make a long story short, what is the one thing that people in that situation cling on to rise up? Hope.
Today we are going to spell hope L.I.B.R.A.R.Y because that is what Chattanooga’s downtown library (and its subsidiaries) is; amongst other things. Now, let’s forget everything I just said for a moment and talk about the library. People think library and they think books. Well that’s great because reading is brain food but it goes way beyond that. While the books are bountiful, opportunity and hope flow through the many amenities that are available to the public so people can elevate their lives to a completely different level.
For the bookworms out there, one can get their fill of reading at the public library with a seemingly endless selection of hard-copy books on the first floor and the selection is only going to continue to grow. The downtown Chattanooga Public Library offers free notary services, meeting rooms, and a tool library that contains hand tools, power tools, extension cords as well as yard and garden tools.
They can help you with your garden beyond tools as we cannot forget about the seed exchange they offer. People can pick up seeds, donated by local growers, and learn all about them in one quick swoop through the library. They can then go home and see just how awesome it is to grow something. How incredible is that?
Additionally, their online media presence is amazingly potent. It gives library cardholders access to streaming and downloading audio and eBooks from OverDrive Media, RBdigital and also Hoopla. Hoopla, a major perk of being a library cardholder, is accessible on smartphones, tablets, and computers, and provides the opportunity to unlock digital content such as movies, television shows, music, ebooks, comics, and additional audiobooks. DVD’s and CD’s are also available for rent and can even be placed on hold.
The second floor is for “kids and teens” and is a safe haven giving them the opportunity to be kids especially when they might not have the opportunity at home. It hosts premium gaming equipment, instruments and craft areas to allow kids to be hands on.
Librarians are there to keep everybody in check as well as uplift the youth in a positive direction. While there, the kids have an opportunity to interact with their peers in a unique setting and can also get live online homework help from skilled tutors as well as tap into many educational resources.
Lessons and tutorials are a widely overlooked aspect of the library. On the third floor, people can take every learner’s and driver’s license test infinitely there. Interactive Gale Courses with live instructors, run for six weeks and begin the start of each month. The Testing and Education Reference Center lets users tap into over 300 practice tests and courses as well as hosts a scholarship search that features $8 billion in available scholarships. If that is not enough, they also give library cardholders access to Transparent language, the online learning platform that teaches over 100 languages.
The third floor is also where the extraordinary genealogy department calls home.The staff-compiled index of all obituaries published in the Chattanooga Times Free Press will keep the legacy of our lost souls intact. Their records are in accordance to date since 1897.
To coincide with the obituaries, they have one of the largest family history collections online with Ancestry Library Edition (in-library use only), as well as an additional database called Gale Genealogy Connect which includes reliable sources from Genealogical publishing and Clearfield Company.
Additional services include Heritage Quest, American Ancestors, Tennessee Death Records, Tennessee Maps 1885-1955, Tennessee Virtual Archive, Tennessee’s Landmark Documents, Volunteer Voices, and Archives Unbound, which all give the people the essences of Chattanooga and how it came to be what it is today.
Have I mentioned the fourth floor yet? Well, now that we are on the fourth floor, welcome to the Makerspace where dreams and thoughts erupt from the minds of creative people.
The fourth floor of the downtown Chattanooga Public Library is my favorite place in all of Chattanooga, and that is saying a lot because I have seen the surrounding sights and prefer to be outdoors. Any person in this world that has any kind of vision whatsoever would benefit their lives just by stepping foot onto the fourth floor of the public library in downtown Chattanooga. It is the Hackerspace/Makerspace for a reason.
What the librarians on the fourth floor want people to know is the amenities available take time to learn. Where the readily available cutting edge, technological outlets do have the capability to do extraordinary things, they are not going to just do it for them.
Please do not come in without any knowledge whatsoever and expect them to just do it. Just because the tools are there, does not mean that a person can go to the library and have someone make something for them.
People have to apply themselves and they will learn something that they will carry with them for the rest of their lives. If they have extra time, the staff will assist accordingly but be patient and kind. Equipment learning sessions can be scheduled with the faculty and it is recommended for people without prior knowledge to schedule a session in advance.
Fourth floor amenities include a 3D printer and laser cutter, a vinyl plotter to make stickers, CNC Router (by appointment only), full-blown photography studio (by appointment only), 4k monitor, virtual reality booth, screen printer and heat press, zine-making lab, button maker, floor loom, sewing lab with sewing, serger, and embroidery machines, power tools, hand tools, soldering bench, Arduino and electronics project kits, Adobe Creative Cloud, Agile co-working spaces with whiteboards, projectors, couches, tables, event space with sound system, stage, and presentation equipment.
It is ever-evolving and the best place in all of Chattanooga to go to spark creative energy. MIDI keyboards and mini music studio areas where artists can input/output and save their sound(s) are also available. The sky is the limit on the fourth floor, they even have a piano so that people can learn, tune, or play.
The industry-standard music studio that is equipped with state-of-the-art technology is available to utilize for all library cardholders. It has all of the bells and whistles. Three-hour time blocks are available for scheduling during regular business hours. The unaware need to tap into the potential. It will take their breath away.
Again, people must apply themselves accordingly when in the studio. The staff Sound Engineer will be a helpful guide but not the maestro. People must fend for themselves while being open to some tutelage during sessions.
Empowering the people with hope and resources is what the downtown Chattanooga Public Library is doing while giving all people a platform to rise up. The world is impactful, and it is easy for people to get caught up in some less than favorable situations. When there are things to look forward to, people act accordingly.
I see both sides of Chattanooga, and I know that there are not many places that are better for growth, development, and opportunity than right here in Chattaboogie. Have you been neglecting the next-level resources that are available to you at the downtown Chattanooga Public Library?
Well, stop it. The time is now. Put those resolutions to work and take time this year to read, play, create, learn, elevate, dominate, integrate and educate others. Carpe Diem, Chattanooga. See you at 1001 Broad Street.
Bring a friend.