The idea of placing a seasonal ice skating rink on the plaza between the city’s new library and the parking garage on Vermont Street is worth a look.

The Lawrence Public Library board of trustees has expressed some concerns that a rink would detract from other planned uses for the plaza, but even the trustees acknowledged the idea “has a nice community draw to it.”

The plaza is envisioned as a site for outdoor concerts and other programs sponsored by the library. However, such events aren’t likely to occur during the winter months, when a skating rink might be a great attraction for both the library and the rest of downtown.

The Lawrence Parks and Recreation Department has hired an architect to determine what it would take to modify the plaza to accommodate a temporary ice rink. The department says it appears the plaza could hold a 60-by-80-foot rink with space for about 125 skaters at a time. Officials envision a rink that could operate during the winter months and be disassembled and removed to make room for other events the rest of the year.

There are a number of factors to consider, and a resolution approved by the library trustees correctly asserts that any changes to the space “should not significantly negatively affect the overall library space or function.” Nonetheless, the resolution also acknowledged the “space should support multiple uses,” of which ice skating might be one — if the project fits within certain parameters.

Parks and Rec is looking at the feasibility of both real ice and artificial ice for the rink. Artificial ice, a slick, smooth plastic-like material that works with regular ice skates, would be less expensive because it wouldn’t require electricity to keep ice frozen during mild spells during the winter.

It also would allow the rink to operate at any time of the year — but that shouldn’t be in the plans. With artificial ice or real ice, the rink should be available for a few months in the winter and then removed to make room for other events. It’s also important that the rink be reserved only for public recreational use and not be taken over for large chunks of time by any local ice hockey leagues.

With such limits in place, the rink might be a nice winter recreation option, as well as a draw for downtown and the library.

Libraries aren’t just about books any more, and one of the goals for Lawrence’s new public library is for it to be a focal point for a broad variety of community activities. A seasonal ice rink seems like an activity worth investigating.