I saw a great article in the LA Times from July 3, 2012 about the McAllen (Texas) Public Library using an empty Wal-Mart building space for its library. I think that this is a great use of industrial space to benefit the community. If the building had been left abandoned vandalism could have taken place as the article noted. I liked the fact that patrons now do not have the wait to use a computer.
As the article noted, “The size of more than two football fields, the McAllen Public Library is the largest single-story library in the country, the website PSFK writes. Its conversion from vast warehouse space to functioning library has recently made it the winner of the 2012 Library Interior Design Competition by the International Interior Design Assn.”
See http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/jacketcopy/2012/07/where-walmart-failed-a-library-succeeds.html for more details.