Best Public-Library Music Section

In the past, music sections at most public libraries have been of little interest to anyone other than fans of Arthur Fiedler and the Boston Pops. But the Schlessman Family Branch of the Denver Public Library is an enormous exception to this rule. The year-old library has approximately 10,000 items in its audiovisual section, including multiple copies of the most popular DVDs. Better yet, the CD selection is wonderfully eclectic and includes rock that's apt to appeal to even the most esoteric listener. (One patron reports having recently found discs by the Magnetic Fields, the New York Dolls and Beth Orton.) Because word of the branch's assemblage has spread, the shelves aren't always jammed -- but you'll always find something you never thought would be stocked in a public library.