On the corner of Center and Liberty, a line of people forms outside. Some are chatting with one another. Others stare through the locked glass doors, thinking deeply about something.
At ten o'clock on the dot, on a recent Friday, the doors unlock. The line seeps inside, one human at a time, drip, drip, drip.
The downtown Reno public library doors are a portal. Suddenly, the people are off the streets of Reno. They each find themselves in a new kind of jungle. Deep green vines dangle from the ceilings, and long leaves reach out from the walls like friendly arms.
Within this welcoming wilderness, there are places to rest. Some people bring with them all that they have. The library carries the weight of things for a while…until closing time, on Fridays, at five o’clock on the dot.
The downtown public library opened in 1966, a gift to the people of Washoe County. In the following decades, the library has provided countless resources to the Reno community.
Hundreds of plants living and growing inside transform the space into an oasis. Recently, library systems have become battlegrounds for our immensely polarized society. But peace and community can still be found for those who need it. Before COVID-19, Our Town Reno hosted “Share Your Story” hours at the library, an opportunity for locals to sit and tell stories. Our Town Reno is starting to host “Share Your Story” hours again. Everyone has a story to tell, and yours is worth sharing. The real magic of libraries isn’t in the plants, but in how we connect with each other.