"Walking Dead": Libraries vs. Zombies

The television series Walking Dead, as seen on the cable channel American Movie Classics, was recently released on DVD. The hit TV show has been renewed for a second season, which will most likely air in the fall. If you need your zombie fix sooner than later and need to know what happens to the survivors, visit your local library and check out the graphic novels that inspired the TV show.

Walking Dead discussions between two coworkers and myself lead to the realization that in the unfortunate event of a zombie apocolypse, if it were to go down while we were at work, the facilities of New Dorp Library would give us a great chance of short-term survival. I won't go into all of the specific details of the building's layout, but there is basically only one weak point of entry — the double glass doors at the Library's main entrance. The entrance could, however, easily be secured by moving some bookshelves in front of it. We then debated how long we could survive in the Library. The only long-term solution we could envision was the possibility of a rooftop garden. Of course, it has to be taken into consideration that we don't have any top soil or seeds on hand, but if we eliminate the doom and gloom complications of long-term survival and focus on the here and now of this "What if?" scenario, New Dorp Library is a great short-term sanctuary for the first few nights of a zombie apocalypse.

How does your local library stack up as a refuge when the zombie hoardes attack?

If you aren't fortunate enough to be in New Dorp Library when the living dead bring their own brand of rompin' stompin' graveyard destruction, there is the Zombie Survival Guide by Max Brooks to help you through the tough times.

Previously: The Zombie Comeback by Rosa Caballero-Li, Beware of Zombies: The Grim Origins of Washington Square Park by Carmen Nigro, and Rot & Ruin: A Review by Emma Carbone.
 

 

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I'm glad to know there is a

I'm glad to know there is a place I could go to survive a ZA... Thank god for the New York Public Library!

I think my university library

I think my university library in Århus, Denmark would be a pretty good choice, easy to cover the stairs going from the first to second floor with a book shelf and according to that book, zombies can't climb, right? :)

Great discussion Robert! I'm

Great discussion Robert! I'm from Vancouver, and after reading your post, I can't help but speculate the outcome of a zombie apocalypse if it were to happen at the Vancouver Central Library. In short, I do not think we would fare very well, as there are too many entrances and access points to anywhere in the library. The library itself is about 6 stories, and architectually circular, thus granting the zombies a tactical advantage (even though the ability to plan is out of their repertoire). The New Dorp library seems ideal for a zombie attack; it is built like a fortress, and relatively small which makes barricading easier. The only advantage that our library has is the fact that we do have a green rooftop. If we can somehow keep the zombies from coming up to the top-most floor, perhaps long-term survival is viable. It's been a while since I've visited the library, but next time I do, I will keep an eye out for more details.

Another reason to embrace "green" libraries!

The "green" roof, which uses a layer of soil and grass that is supposed to help keep the building cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter, could also be used as the first step in creating a rooftop garden. And then when we're up there harvesting our next meal, we'll be at a good vantage point to throw makeshift weapons (like stamp pads, staplers, and enormous reference books) at any zombies surrounding the building.