At its core, Project 468 is about reconnecting story and place. Story and place, they go together. And I can’t think of a better example of that than the library. Today I visited the Lopez Library. I of course checked out a book with my new library card. I also was fortunate enough to hear a few stories about this unique place. Mary, who volunteers at the front desk, gave me some great nuggets.

What makes the Lopez Library special? For starters, they are one of the few libraries around that have musical instruments available for check-out, right alongside the books and movies. It’s services like this that help the library live up to its mission “to provide resources and services for the enrichment of [Lopezians’] cultural and recreational lives.” And it’s why the New York Times listed the Lopez Library as one of the nation’s innovative libraries that are “breaking out of the library mold.”

The Lopez Library is one of the most inviting, comfortable public places I’ve been. Right next to the stacks, it has several cozy chairs nestled up against a fireplace so you can lose yourself in a book. The children’s section is colorful and of course makes reading fun for kids. Every Wednesday at 11am is story time with Rosie.* On the first Saturday of every month, the Library hosts Minecraft meet-ups, which my kids never miss. And, for adults and businesses, the library is just as accommodating – with a beautiful reading room and a conference room that can be reserved for meetings, for free.

Here is one of the more interesting facts I learned today. Paul Allen, who owns a home on the south end of Lopez, donated his personal collection of 600 DVDs to help populate the movie section of the library. After learning this, I couldn’t help wondering which DVDs came from Paul. Was he the one who donated all 94 episodes of Sex in the City? The Sci-Fi section is disproportionately large, by the way.

I loved my visit to the library. I plan on spending a lot more time there, and I’d encourage all residents of and visitors to Lopez to do the same. Story and place, they go together.