by Kristine Lloyd

Big box stores are a little frightening. Like casinos, there are no visible clocks and few windows, so you never know quite where you are or how long you’ve been wandering the aisles until your cart rings up at a whopping $300.

Patrons of the new McAllen Public Library, built in a former Walmart in McAllen, Texas, may find themselves lost amid a football field of books but won’t spend a dime for hours wiled away in search of a good read. The library recently won the International Interior Design Association’s 2012 Library Interior Design Awards for its innovative use of space. Check out the other award winners and ogle with envy some of the hippest new library spaces around:  Ida.org.