When I say “library,” what’s the first thing that comes to mind, other than books? Is it an old librarian? Card catalogs? That dusty smell that comes off rows and rows of paperbacks, some of which haven’t been cracked opened in years? Kind of boring, yeah?

Well, the brand new Watha T. Daniel/Shaw Neighborhood Library is a place that has the potential to erase all of those associations. That’s probably because, well, it’s not really just a library.

New Shaw (as we’ll call it from here on out) is a hybrid community, recreation and learning center. Sure, there’s all the stuff here that you would expect from a run-of-the-mill library — yes, you can still take out books — but there’s so much more. Free, unlimited wi-fi that actually seeps into the community around the library? Check. A free DVD selection that would make your local video store weep with jealousy? Check. Study rooms that people can reserve online? Check. Meeting rooms that can hold 100 people, a vegetative green roof, a dedicated story room for kids, plenty of bike racks, more than 30 publicly accessible computers, a location right across the street from the Metro and a huge list of planned activities including yoga and Bollywood dance classes? Yup, all of that too.

In short: it’s an incredibly impressive building. The word “library” doesn’t really do it justice.

The new Watha T. Daniel/Shaw Neighborhood Library opens on Monday, August 2.