Get Your Book On
National Library Week celebrates information heroism
By Lauren Horsch
There are a lot of weird national holidays and celebrations, but this week we’ve been celebrating a group of people and services that help us survive academia—and life, for that matter. National Library Week is dedicated to honoring those information superheroes helping you with everything from getting your first library card to getting that crucial piece of information for your master’s thesis.
Librarians help you swim through the murky water of research and can dig up that nugget of information you’ve been looking for since the beginning of time. It’s no small task going on information adventures, but it’s almost second nature for those who have dedicated their lives to this pursuit of knowledge.
In the wise words of everyone’s favorite aardvark Arthur: Having fun isn’t hard if you’ve got a library card.
Check out our list of the five must-see libraries across the Midwest (in no particular order):
1) Saint Anthony Park Library, St. PaulThis library, situated on Como Avenue, boasts over 10,500 square feet of space for information. In 2010 it had a collection of over 50,000 materials. The library was originally built in 1917 as a Carnegie library. This library has grown overtime, including a 1999 remodel that helped triple its circulation.
2) Central Library, MilwaukeeThe Central Library opened its doors in October 1898 to the Milwaukee community. Since then, it’s become the administrative center for the library system. In total, the Milwaukee Library System has 2.7 million books in its collection and an impressive 1.5 million government documents. Bonus: The historical building is an ode to French and Italian Renaissance architecture.
3) Harold Washington Library Center, ChicagoThe Harold Washington Library Center (HWLC) was named after the first African-American mayor of the city. The HWLC opened in October 1991 after the Chicago City Council approved a $144 million bond issue. It was dubbed necessary after the historic library on Michigan Avenue became too small, and too old. The library spans 756,000 square feet over 10 levels (that’s not counting a pretty awesome rooftop garden). Also, its collection has over 13 million pieces.
4) Central Library, Kansas City, Mo.This library, housed in a former bank, opened its doors to patron in 2004. The location is home to services such as the H&R Block Career and Services Center. It has various book groups for avid readers to get involved in. It also has a Grand Reading Room with a 34-foot ceiling, complete with a skylight. One of the more unique facets of the library is a 1925-built bank vault that’s now being used as a film vault and theater.
5) Main Library, DetroitThe library, constructed in 1921, is the center of the 24-branch library system. It’s the second largest in the state, after the University of Michigan, and part of the cultural and historic district of Detroit. In total, the collection has more than 7,500,000 pieces. World War I delayed the opening of this three-floor Italian Renaissance building.
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