American LibrariesSearch American Libraries  |
||
Site Navigation
Left Sidebar Items |
||
Plan for New Philadelphia Library AiredAdministrators, patrons, and supporters of the Free Library of Philadelphia gathered in city hall November 29 to present a $120-million plan for the expansion and renovation of the Central Library on Vine Street. Director Elliot Shelkrot decided the time was right to pitch the plan to city council, even though Mayor John F. Street’s office is still juggling other capital requests, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported November 30. The three-hour public hearing included testimony on the deteriorating condition of the building, a Beaux Arts landmark erected in 1927. Much of the library is not accessible to people with physical disabilities, the seating is inadequate, and the substantial automobile reference and theater collections are largely unavailable to the public. C. Donald Weinberg, an English professor at the Community College of Philadelphia, called it a “Cadillac on blocks—a fine machine that is not able to go forward.” The new plan calls for a 180,000-square-foot connecting annex on city lots, a completely refurbished reading room, an expanded children’s center, a new teen room, hundreds of computers with free Internet access, a coffee bar, and a “digital discovery center” where companies could set up high-tech demo projects. Posted December 4, 2000. |
Right Sidebar
|
|
