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Central Library Grand Opening Set for December 9!

Library News & Announcements RSS Feed October 5, 2007

Reading RoomCentral Library Grand Opening Day: A Community Celebration!

A brief public ceremony, followed by an afternoon of special activities for all ages, will highlight the Grand Opening of the newly-transformed Central Library on Sunday, December 9 from 1 – 5 p.m.

The children of Indianapolis will be represented by 11-year-old Carmen Hu, a Lawrence Branch patron and 6th grade student at Fall Creek Valley school, who will join Library and civic officials at 1 p.m. at the south entrance of the historic Cret Building to unlock Central Library’s Penny Gates.  This honors the efforts of Indianapolis school children in 1917 who collected pennies to purchase the gates in honor of their beloved Hoosier poet, James Whitcomb Riley. Carmen was selected as the winner of the Central Library Grand Opening Coloring Contest for children during the summer.

Citizens will then be invited to gather in the Library’s new Atrium as trumpeters lead the procession of officials on-stage for a special dedication ceremony. Presentations by representatives of the Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library and the Office of the Mayor will be followed by local author Mari Evans reading her specially-written poem for Central Library, “Paean for a New Library.”

Following the dedication, citizens will get their first look at such features as the high-tech Learning Curve for children and families, the Nina Mason Pulliam Indianapolis Special Collections Room, the beautifully-restored Simon Reading Room in the Cret Building, the expansive Computer Training Lab, and a collection of over 700,000 books and audio-visual materials. Library staff will be available to help guide patrons throughout the new 293-thousand-square-foot facility, or patrons may tour on their own along one of three “Discovery Paths.” Tour brochures will be available at each of the Library’s entrances.

A variety of entertainment will occur throughout the afternoon. The Circle City Sidewalk Stompers will greet patrons outside the Cret Building prior to opening ceremonies. Actors, many courtesy of Young Audiences of Indiana, depicting such historic and literary characters as Kin Hubbard, Gene Stratton-Porter, Harriet Tubman, Thomas Edison, James Whitcomb Riley, Mary Todd Lincoln, Charles Dickens and various Civil War characters, will interact with patrons throughout the facility.

Grand Opening Day also will feature musical ambience with performances by the “Wild Mercy” Celtic Band, pianist Darrin Vincent, and sections of the Indianapolis Symphonic Band.


Children and families will enjoy demonstrations in the Learning Curve, the 18,000-square-foot innovative learning environment designed to help young people become intelligent users of information, both real and virtual, that are pilot-tested and evaluated. Fun activities will occur in the Learning Curve’s Baby Zone, Story Theater, Group Cove, Information Vortex, Tech Lab, and Arena.

Children also will be entertained by George Flexman’s balloon characters and Charles Dickens’ magic tricks.

Commemorative items will be available for purchase at Secondhand Prose @ Central Library, located in the Atrium close to the Circulation Desk.

Central Library’s unique services and collections will be showcased with demonstrations in the Computer Training Lab, the Language Learning Lab, the Assistive Technologies Room, and the Nina Mason Pulliam Indianapolis Special Collections Room.

Not to be overlooked is that Central Library’s collection will be available for browsing and checkout. New patrons will be encouraged to fill out applications to receive an IMCPL library card.

In addition to the south entrance of the Cret Building, access to Central Library can be achieved through the 9th Street entrance on the facility’s north side, or from the new underground parking garage, located on Pennsylvania Street, immediately south of 9th Street.

Parking in Central Library’s garage will be free on Grand Opening Day. Free parking also will be available in the Safeco Insurance parking garage on the corner of Illinois and North Streets. Free shuttle service from that intersection will transport visitors directly to Central Library. Shuttles will also pick up patrons leaving Central Library at the 9th Street entrance to return them to the Safeco garage.

Upon leaving, all patrons will be given complimentary gift bags that include various library promotional and informational materials.