ore often than not, after hitting the Vancouver Public Library and sorting through some pages of Proust, I like to throw back a few shots. Luckily, Library Square is just a short walk through the archives. Since the new library opened in 1995, its grandiose facade has become a snap-worthy locale for tourist shutterbugs. Now, it also has a bar that’s getting some serious attention.

I’ve known about the library’s hidden little gem for a while now. Tucked in behind a towering building near West Georgia and Hamilton, this little not-so-out-of-the-way drinkery is quickly becoming a great place for a night out on the town.

Library Square is a modern pub, shiny and new with clean lines of steel and a bright back bar. Free of lamp lighting, must, and oversized leather chairs, it’s not what you’d expect from a library offering. With flat screen tvs on the walls instead of portraits of Shakespeare, this place is sleek. Sure, it still has the expected contribution of art, but these framed pieces are not old world, library stiff. Submitted by students from Emily Carr, the art work on the walls is as contemporary as the place itself, providing a clever comment on the surge of technology and the impact the internet has had on books themselves. This is the new age of the library, and suddenly it’s not so square.

Even more surprising, this place is downright sporty. During a packed hockey game or the World Cup, the joint has more lout-patrons than most spots on Commercial Drive. Unexpected pool and foosball tables add to the athletic vibe, as does its proximity to GM Place. Library Square is a clever alternative to other sports bars in the area. Its anti-brainy atmosphere and pub style food beg the question, “library, what library?”

Surprisingly, Thursday through Saturday Library Square transforms into an all-out nightclub, complete with beats and thump from a DJ/librarian (okay, I made the librarian part up). Suddenly the terrazzo floor lets you shake off the stress of the research you may or may not have been doing all day.