I found the Delft Public Library to be fascinating in a myriad of ways. Having already been to many libraries within the Netherlands, I felt that I knew what I was getting into even before I stepped in the DOK, but I was so wrong. To me, most libraries seem the same fundamentally. At the very core of every library is the goal to be a repository of information and it seems the secondary goal of many is to be a safe public place. The DOK seemed to fulfill both these criteria well. Walking in, the library felt inviting, it did not feel like a place where I would get dirty looks for even dropping my bag heavily on the floor. The café near the entrance made the ground floor feel more like a trendy hang out spot than anything.
I was amazed to hear that the children had so much input in the design of the library, it was heartening to hear that the library actually cared about the opinions of the kids and implemented their suggestions. And this showed because the entire library was bright and fun in a not tacky way, when we went it did not seem too busy but the people there looked happy with their time spent at the library and made use of every aspect of the library—from the café to the books. Everywhere in the library looked welcoming and it felt like a place that I would personally go to get work done. Instead of paying for a five dollar drink at a café just so I could sit down and have somewhere with internet to work, I would much rather go to a space similar to the DOK for productivity. I think that the future of libraries will become similar to the direction the DOK is headed towards.