Toward the “Great Good Place:” Should Libraries Have Coffee Shops?

by Gorbe, Betsy B.

There has been a great deal of debate in the library community during the last decade concerning the issue of whether libraries should invest in library coffee shops. Often this debate has been based on personal opinions unsubstantiated by experience. This paper informs those library professionals contemplating whether or not to incorporate a coffee shop, either in a renovation or new construction, of the experiences of library directors of systems which have integrated coffee shops.