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Main Library - Past, Present, Future

Page history last edited by PBworks 16 years, 8 months ago

What to do about Durham's Main Library

In 1980, the Main Library was brand-spanking new and a jewel in Durham's crown. Now, 27+ years later, it has grown tired and outdated. What to do about the Main Library...

renovate the existing building?
build a new building downtown?
partner with other local entities to create a combination Durham Library and History Museum?
other???

Some local ideas about what to do in the future:

Build a new building across the street - check out this blog entry, towards the bottom
Build a new library downtown - Bill Kalkoff's idea (H-S library article.doc) and the Herald-Sun's editorial supporting it (H-S editorial.doc)
Renovate the existing building using bond money from a future, planned referrendum.
Build a new buling on the old Heart of Durham site, near the ballpark and American Tobacco (my personal idea)

Eveything old is new again:

From the "Newcomer's Guide to Durham for 1929", Durham Public Library section by Clara M. Crawford, Librarian:

"The library maintains in addition to the [free collection] a Rent Collection of new fiction and other books in great demand. A fee of ten cents a week is charged for these books. Borrowers may take any number of books from this collection in addition to those which they are entitled on their membership card but only registered members of the library are entitled to draw books from this collection."

Rental fees for in-demand materials... from 1929! Who knew?!?

Where we've come from, in words and pictures:

	DCL's Main Library, 1980. Notice the lack of trees, which have now grown up. And that WTVD hadn't fenced in their compound yet (closest parking area in this picture is WTVD's - the Library's starts where the red car is pulling into the driveway).
	Furniture from 1980, which is still in use today. From thge paragraph to the left of the photo: "The parking lot features a loading dock that becomes a stage for summer outdoor theater." Does anyone know what/where this "stage" is? [To see a full size image, right-click and save the image to your computer. Then view full size without the fuzziness.]