St. Louis Public Library Receives $500,000 Donation for Central Library Renovation.

Wells Fargo Advisors donates $500,000 to St. Louis Central Library renovation.   (St. Louis Business Journal, 8/16/2011)

Excerpt:     Originally opened in 1912, Central Library was designed by Cass Gilbert and built with funds from Andrew Carnegie and the citizens of St. Louis. The St. Louis Public Library’s 4.7 million-piece collection was moved off-site and staff was relocated earlier this year to make way for construction crews.

Seven stories of shelving and flooring were removed in the interior “stack,” an area which is being transformed into the new Locust Street Atrium entrance. Central Library’s central reading room and other expansive reading rooms are coming to life through expanded public spaces, new mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems, restoration of original floors, walls and ceilings, and enhanced lighting. The new Central Library will feature a 65 percent increase in public spaces, enhanced technology, a cafe, new displays and a new, lower-level 244-seat auditorium carved out of the space for the building’s original coal bin. Also, the St. Louis Public Library is taking this opportunity to further digitize major portions of its collection.

Related post:
Ebooks, Netflix, and library building projects.  (7/12/2011)