Library offers free pole dancing class to draw visitors

Libraries always look for new ways to engage readers through cultural enrichment. But one branch in Scotland took an unconventional approach by hosting a pole dancing class—at the library.

STV reports that pole dancing teacher Nikki Clark hosted the class at the Mayfield Library in Dalkeith, Midlothian, as part of “Love Your Library Day.”

The event reportedly drew in a number of attendees and participants, including local police Officer Lindsey Hughson and a few men.

"The pole fitness session is a fun and interesting way of encouraging more people into our libraries, trying out all the services on offer and ultimately borrowing more books," Midlothian Council member Bob Constable told the TV station.

Pole dancing has become more mainstream in recent years as a fitness routine. In 2010, the Cambridge Union Society at Cambridge University even offered pole dancing classes to its female members.

Still, its transition into the broader culture has not been entirely smooth. For example, in 2012, a Canadian dance studio raised eyebrows when it began offering pole dancing classes to children.

The library also offered “booky table tennis” games to visitors, in which used books were used as paddles and nets in the game.