Comotara Branch Library

Okay, I'm just going to say it straight up, like Paula Abdul would advise, in all circumstances, before anything, state your truth and, therefore, in one long breath, I shall state mine: I love this freaking branch. I LOVE IT SO MUCH.

I only went to the Comotara Branch Library because it was convenient--I had no expectations from a library located inside a grocery store (the first in the nation, according to the website--who knew!). It is important to set expectations accordingly, too, since it is such a strange arrangement, one that apparently began all the way back in 1986, though I have no memories of this little library from back then, and honestly hadn't even noticed it during recent visits to this store.

But here's the magic: It always has something. Which is weird since you'd think its shelves would be constantly picked clean by the roving grocery shoppers constantly streaming in and out. Every time I've gone in the DVD selection has been huge and fruitful...not just 30 copies of Aloha like some branches I've encountered (okay, it was only three, but it was a sad sight nonetheless because why would you have one copy of Aloha let alone three?). And it just happened to have the one book I was looking for? Wild. Remember episode one of Star Trek: The Next Generation? Encounter at Farpoint...where the whole station was actually some sort of space jelly that could create whatever people wanted out of thin air? The Comotara branch is like that.

I always feel like a victorious hunter returning home with all of my meaty kills, brandishing all the good finds at my mother like I won a prize or something. For context, it is important to note that mom's apartment only has "antenna TV," which could be much, much worse, really, except for the weekends when the programming does get downright gloomy. We also share the wifi with the apartment complex, so getting Netflix to work is sometimes a frustrating endeavor. Having access to quality DVDs makes things much better, believe me.

I've mentioned this before but must mention it again: Not one scratched or defective DVD yet from the Wichita library system. NOT ONE. If this seems petty/hysterical to repeatedly trumpet, note that my last two years of DVD.com service was about 90% defective. Here's how it usually went: get the DVD, won't play/missing big parts, return for another, get the replacement DVD, repeat, repeat, give up. I'd sometimes look up the ending or whole plot on Google...and sometimes I'd just stop caring. I've sought out missing parts of movies to watch on YouTube or Hulu because of the shamefest that is DVD.com. A service I paid for.

Comotara also has some of the friendliest staff I've met to date: Lots of feedback on DVDs I've checked out (oh you're going to loooove this) and helpful with all questions about stock and procedures. It is important to remember that this is a teeny nook of a library--it only has so much space to serve the community, but it strains its little heart out getting that thankless job done. Basically when you walk in and look left, there it is: the whole branch. There is even a tiny seating area for patrons to peruse materials. On one of of my treks to Comotara, I witnessed what is probably a very common scene: Husband and wife enter the store, she grabs the cart, he says see ya later, she heads off to shop, and he sets himself up in the library, perusing the stacks and reading whatever he finds interesting. (We can always hope they trade off sometimes?)

Dillons has been around since I can remember, though, like most grocery chains, it is regional--not as fancy as some I've witnessed (Hen House in KC being my first thought, OMG OMG luxe), but much nicer than many others (e.g. IGA, Dollar General, C Town, Associated). It's not hep cat, like Trader Joe's, swanky like Citarella, or fauxgreen like Whole Foods, but it is stocked to the gills, well maintained, and smells amenable. They even try to do sushi, which I've never sampled, but I've seen plenty of people picking it up so maybe it's okay? They make a mean blackened catfish, I can tell you that, and they have all the cereals you could want and more. Dillons has been "my" store since I was a kid, so I'm clearly biased (as others would say the same for Piggly Wiggly, Hy Vee, or the legendary Publix).

Part of Comotara's charm is being located right next to the flower department, which is immediately adjacent to the vibrant color wheel of a quality fruit and vegetables section. Pictures from two different days show a cheery, bright environment, capped off with happy balloons and buzzing shoppers. Comotara has a lively, fresh feel that would be hard to reproduce (nyuk nyuk) in a traditional library setting. And while it feels weird to walk out with "unpurchased" items in my hand, every visit has been nothing but a pleasure.

One last thing about Comotara--and really all libraries--specifically in connection with Google reviews: Wield your power with a conscience, people. Don't give a business one star because you don't like their hours. And especially don't pull that petty shit on a publicly funded outfit, like a library, because it is ugly, unnecessary, and makes you into a giant, smelly choad. You know who you are, GOOGLE USER ***** ******. [Name redacted to protect the witless.]