Click here http://www.gp.lib.mi.us/building/Central_Plans_01162008.pdf to see the most recent drawings.

December Meeting

The Central Library Building Committee will meet on Wednesday, December 12 at 7:00 p.m. in the program room of the Woods Library. The public is invited.

Special Library Board Meeting

There will be a special meeting of the Library Board on Monday, November 12 in the Ewald Library Story Room at 7:00 p.m. to discuss additional compensation for the architects to refine the Central concept. Tom Marchesano will give a report. The architects will not be present.

Podcast Picks Up the Central Story

LibVibe, a library news podcast, interviewed Scott Slarsky in the September 27 edition. Click on the link to listen.

October Meeting

The building committee will meet on Wednesday, October 3, 2007 at 7:00 p.m. at the Woods Branch Library. Bring your thoughts and ideas. The plans can be viewed on the front page of the library's website. As always, the public is invited.

Upcoming Event - Marcel Breuer & Mid Century Modern Architecture

Reed Kroloff, Director of Cranbrook Academy of Art, will present a lecture and slide show on Marcel Breuer & Mid Century Modern Architecture on Wednesday, October 24, 7:30 p.m. in the Main Reading Room of the Central Library. Mr. Kroloff is formerly Dean and Professor of Architecture at Tulane School of Architecture, and is highly respected in the field. To reserve a spot, call the library at 343-2074 x220 or register online on the library's calendar.

Watch This Watch List

The World Monuments Fund placed "Main Street Modern" on its 100 Most Endangered Sites for 2008. The Grosse Pointe Library, along with a photo of our business room, is a featured example. From their website:

The primary threats faced by Modern architecture are demolition or inappropriate renovations, and the technical challenges of conserving the experimental materials and innovative building systems used in their construction. The great threat, however, is perhaps public apathy -- a lack of consensus or confidence -- that buildings of the recent past can be important enough to be preserved for the future. There are a number of significant "Main Street Modern" buildings currently threatened with demolition or degradation, including …Marcel Breuer's Grosse Pointe Public Library (1953) in Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan.

The World Monuments Fund is interested in possibly committing $50,000 toward the preservation of Central Library under certain conditions. This was discussed at the August board meeting, and will be further discussed at the meeting in September. Mr. Henry Ng, Executive Vice-President of the WMF will be briefly visiting the library at the end of August.