1/5 Addis A. 1 month ago on Google • 5 reviews New
Abrehot
Library
is
a
beautiful
facility,
no
doubt
about
it.
The
architecture,
the
spacious
design,
and
the
initial
vision
behind
it
...
When
it
first
opened,
it
felt
like
a
breath
of
fresh
air.
I
remember
seeing
high
school
kids
doing
assignments
sitting
on
the
concrete
floors
outside,
and
individuals
enjoying
the
simple
joy
of
reading
in
a
shared
space.
It
was
refreshing.
Sadly,
that
spirit
seems
to
be
fading
fast.
The
service
has
significantly
deteriorated.
There
are
odd
and
unnecessarily
strict
rules
being
enforced
with
little
to
no
courtesy.
You're
not
allowed
to
keep
even
two
books
on
your
table,
even
if
you
plan
to
return
them
right
after.
You're
not
allowed
to
close
windows—even
if
you're
sitting
in
the
draft.
And
you're
definitely
not
allowed
to
linger,
sit
freely,
or
talk
quietly
with
a
friend,
even
in
open
spaces.
What’s
worse
is
the
way
these
rules
are
enforced:
constant
"policing"
with
an
attitude
that
borders
on
hostility.
From
the
guards
at
the
entrance
to
most
staff
members
inside
(save
for
some),
there's
a
noticeable
lack
of
warmth
or
basic
courtesy.
It
makes
you
wonder
if
this
is
part
of
some
misplaced
policy,
mistaking
rigidity
for
professionalism.
It
feels
like
a
mindset
of
fear
and
control
rather
than
service
and
openness.
It's
painful
to
witness
a
space
that
should
be
welcoming
become
intimidating.
The
management
are
as
if
poor
people
were
let
into
a
fancy
house
and
were
now
too
afraid
to
sit
on
the
furniture
(ሳሎን
ሶፋ
ላይ
ሰው
የሚቀመጠው፣
የሚያምረው
በረንዳ
ላይ
ዘና
ማለት
የሚቻለው
"ትልቅ"
እንግዳ
ሲመጣ
እንጂ
እንዳይነካብን
ዓይነት
የአስተሳሰብ
ድህነት).
This
kind
of
thinking—this
fixation
on
appearances
over
purpose—is
not
only
uninviting,
it’s
toxic
to
the
very
idea
of
public
libraries.
Abrehot
still
can
be
what
it
was
meant
to
be.
But
for
that
to
happen,
there
needs
to
be
a
serious
rethinking
of
the
culture
of
service,
starting
with
how
staff
are
trained
and
how
the
rules
are
balanced
with
the
lived
experience
of
users.
