Last week, an article called “Ditch Starbucks and work at the library” got 327 upvotes on Hacker News. This made me sad. Could that many people really think working at the library is better than Starbucks? Maybe. Or maybe it’s just that they haven’t given it a fair shot.

I’m the first to admit Starbucks isn’t perfect. Sure, you have to buy something (though will a drip coffee for under $2 really break the bank?), it’s often loud, the music is depressingly unpredictable (one second it’s Wynton Marsalis, the next it’s I Got You Babe, a song I’m pretty sure people only like ironically), and it’s sometimes absurdly hard to get a seat with a convenient plug without a death stare or two. That’s all more or less true.

But libraries are far from perfect, too. They’re hard to find and rarely in convenient locations (in fact, the two library locations nearest me in SF are currently under renovation?!). Every time you’re in a new city, you need to jump through absurdly different and difficult hoops to find how you can get access. Their wifi game is typically abysmal and their computer systems often outdated, bloated with spyware, broken, or worse. Forget that they’re usually much too quiet, don’t allow food or drink (say, for example, the human rocket fuel that is coffee), and that the people who work there are awfully uninspiring. Even the hours are rough, too.

But if that’s not convincing enough, here are even more reasons why Starbucks is many times more of an ideal place to work than the library for building your empires and crushing that email inbox buildup:

Starbucks is convenient & everywhere.

Some may call it a downside. But, at Starbucks, you always know what you’re going to get- the food & drinks you want, the seats, the free wifi, the ambience. It’s all there and it’s more or less always within 3 blocks. That’s pretty convenient. Sure, Royal Ground Hipster Cafe Clown Co might sound fun and off the beaten path, but they don’t have wifi and the hand-written sign warning you against sitting there (or smiling) for more than 30 minutes will haunt you. On the other hand, Starbucks continues to increase their plugs/seat ratio at a rapid pace (check out any newly re-designed store). They never bother you about staying in your seat, even if you just buy a water. They even provide free access to subscription services such as the Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and Zagat on their digital network. Basically, they’re not only cool with you setting up camp in their store, but will happily provide more stuff for you to do if you run out.

And it’s harder to get a library card than you think, especially if you’re not from the area. Using San Francisco as an example, you’re going to need to register with a valid California driver’s license with your home address or, if you don’t have one of those, two of the following: passport, military ID, school-issued student ID, employee ID card, out-of-state driver license, or alien registration card. Not necessarily tough to accomplish, I know, but it’s ultimately harder than getting through security to board a plane… and when the alternate option is just buying a coffee, the choice seems pretty clear (though, to be fair, if you do get a library card in SF, you do have the option of having it biodegradable, so that’s progress?).

Look, I love adventure and intrigue as much as the next swashbuckler. But when I’m in a new place and need to answer some emails, knowing I can always go to Starbucks and know exactly what I’m going to get there is super convenient.

Starbucks has people (you can actually talk with!).

Libraries have books, which can be a lot like friends if you’re, you know, sad, and lonely and just want Sally the Subway Girl to notice you. But at Starbucks? You interact with the baristas and you sit next to real people doing a million different things. You can be inspired by their energy or lean over and spark up a conversation. As an entrepreneur, you can engage with potential customers or users and learn from their feedback and ideas. But at a library, there’s no opportunity for you to start up a conversation with a stranger, it turns out instead you have to be quiet.

Plus, I personally find having ambient noise in the background helps me think and get things done better than silence. Sure, I might know all the words to Hall & Oates’ You Make My Dreams (Come True) and just have to mouth the lyrics every time it comes on. And sure sometimes two flustered mothers are going to sit next to you and talk in distinct, loud noises about their favorite baby food brands. But, for the most part, the noise at Starbucks all melds together. In libraries, I get distracted by every little noise (damn those sneezes, sniffles, and circa-1998 cellphone rings). Plus there’s this (a visual argument that works for dudes, too, if that’s your thing and you’ve got a imagination):

Starbucks has food & fuel.

It’s right there, anytime. And, if you want, you’ve even got the option of stuff that’s good for you. At a library, good luck getting anything that’s not from a vending machine. Or being able to eat it at your computer.

And hey, coffee not your thing? Luckily, Starbucks has you covered– teas, coffee-free blended frappucinos, and even free water if you ask for it nicely. Variety, as they say, is the spice of CEO Howard Schultz.

And, finally, Starbucks is one of the few big companies to epitomize what entrepreneurs are all about: innovation.

Under the leadership of Schultz, Starbucks is among the most consistently entrepreneurial companies– especially for one of its size. It’s constantly trying and testing new products. Though some are successful (the awesome “perfect oatmeal,” for example), others are not (heard of the Sorbetto, anyone?). Still, they rebound spectacularly from failure. Technologically, Starbucks is a world-leader in social media (it’s among the most active brands online on every platform), mobile innovation (Starbucks stores now accept mobile payments worldwide), and inventive advertising (touch-screen storefronts, e.g.). Starbucks was the first company to offer health-benefits to part-time employees and stuck with them even during the recession (at one point, it spent more on employee health-care costs than on coffee). They recently sponsored a contest championing coffee cup design innovation in its aim to serve 100% of its coffee in reusable or recyclable cups by 2015. They continue to invest in new business models (VIA, their brand of instant coffee, e.g.). Schultz even just joined the board of big-time innovative startup Groupon. And you know all about the free (not time-limited, one/two-click registration) wi-fi they began offering in their stores last year.

Libraries? Well, let’s just say some of our precious tax dollars go to funding establishments that still believe people will read books in print in the future.

So, sure, the coffee may cost a whoppin’ $2. And you might, with a snap judgment, think of the Starbucks as unoriginal and complain about how its coffee tastes burnt. But if this awesome $1.50 Italian Blend coffee helped me power through this blog post, then maybe you should give Starbucks a second chance. Or, at the very least, don’t go to the library. It represents the opposite of what you’re about. Read books on your Kindle/tablet instead like a real person.

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