Canada: The New $57.6 Million Halifax Central Library Opens! (Roundup)
Here’s a roundup of some news coverage along with some resources to learn more about the new library. Congrats to all of those involved in making it a reality.
1. From The Canadian Press:
The new Halifax Central Library officially opened its doors to the public today.
At an estimated cost of $57.6 million the building has been touted as the new architectural centrepiece of the city’s downtown core.
The 129,00 square foot facility features a larger collection of books than the building it is replacing, as well as meeting and study rooms, technology areas for computers, cafes and a 300-seat auditorium.
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Danish architectural firm Schmidt Hammer Lassen designed the building with Halifax partners Fowler Bauld & Mitchell.
Read the Complete Post and View Multiple Images
From the The Chronicle Herald (Halifax):
Halifax Citadel-Sable Island MLA Labi Kousoulis told those who gathered to mark the occasion he is relieved that the old notion of being quiet in the library no longer applies.
“It’s great to know I won’t be shhh-ed in the new library because I know I was shhh-ed many times in the old one as a young kid there,” he said, as he encouraged people to take in all of the diverse things the new building has to offer.
But perhaps the greatest round of applause was reserved for Halifax Mayor Mike Savage who asked visitors as they were about to enter what he called an “unbelievable” building, “Are you ready to fall in love?”
Judging by the reaction, they were.
From the CBC:
The federal government is contributing up to $18.3 million and the Nova Scotia government $13 million towards the cost of the project, with the remainder being funded through the municipality and a public funding campaign.
Four hundred pairs of safety scissors were given out for the community ribbon cutting for the building’s grand opening.
Note: This article includes a gallery of 13 images taken during today’s festivities.
From Metronews.ca
While the place is called the Halifax Central Library – and most certainly there are plenty of books – there is also a lot more going on, from meeting rooms to a coffee shop. Nowhere is that variety more evident than on the second floor, where the kids’ area is a glorious mess of puzzles, books, tablets, video game consoles and giant Lite-Brite displays. Everything has been designed with children in mind; even the tables and chairs are pint-sized.
Learn More About the New Central Library (via Library Web Site)
Floor Plans
- Halifax Central Library – Level 1 – (6.5MB pdf)
Entrance Area & Customer Services / Café / Paul O’Regan Hall / IT / Holds Pickup Area / Bestsellers / Newspapers & Magazines - Halifax Central Library – Level 2 – (0.7MB pdf)
Children’s Area/ Book Tree / Tweens / Teens / Creative Space & Media Room / Program Rooms / Gaming & IT / Study / Family Reading & Collections - Halifax Central Library – Level 3 – (0.6MB pdf)
First Nations Circle / Adult Learning / Learning Lab / Meeting & Program Rooms / Reading & Study / Collection of Multimedia / Languages & Magazines - Halifax Central Library – Level 4 – (0.6MB pdf)
Local History & Reference / Books of Remembrance / Quiet Reading & Study / Non-Fiction Collection - Halifax Central Library – Level 5 – (0.5MB pdf)
Halifax Living Room / Café / Rooftop Terrace / Fiction Collection
See Also: Halifax Public Libraries Wipe Fines During “Welcome Back to the Library Days.”
This program began today and runs through December 31st.
Filed under: Funding, Libraries, News, Public Libraries, Resources, Roundup
About Gary Price
Gary Price (gprice@gmail.com) is a librarian, writer, consultant, and frequent conference speaker based in the Washington D.C. metro area. He earned his MLIS degree from Wayne State University in Detroit. Price has won several awards including the SLA Innovations in Technology Award and Alumnus of the Year from the Wayne St. University Library and Information Science Program. From 2006-2009 he was Director of Online Information Services at Ask.com.