Ah, it's the way things go these days I guess. Not that it's a bad thing. Actually, I haven't figured out how I feel about it yet. In any case, the first joint venture between a library and a private developer has finally happened.

Portland, Oregon--city of bike trails, official sustainability principles, and the urban-growth boundary--now boasts an energy-efficient mixed-use library complex. The Hollywood Library, Bookmark Apartments, and Caffe Uno, which all opened in May, create what is possibly the country's first joint venture between a public library and a private developer....

"People really like the idea of living above a library," .... "They like the convenience of being able to walk downstairs to borrow a book or a movie, or walk to the store to buy milk."

[via Spinning-Jennie]