WALKING INTO THE Thomas County Public Library in Thomasville, Georgia, visitors see what they'd expect to see in any small-town library.
A flat-screen in the entranceway spells out the rules: no food, drinks, smoking or cell phones. Through a set of double doors is the circulation desk, with three banners above promoting the summer reading challenge.
To the left is the children's section, with kid-sized tables and chairs and floor tiles with images of water, bubbles and a large goldfish. There's a check-out desk to the right, an alphabet quilt to the left, butterfly mobiles hanging from the ceiling and shelf after shelf of colorful books.