[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 51 (Thursday, March 26, 2015)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2037-S2038]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                DETROIT PUBLIC LIBRARY SESQUICENTENNIAL

 Mr. PETERS. Mr. President, today I recognize the Detroit 
Public Library's Sesquicentennial. For 150 years, the

[[Page S2038]]

Detroit Public Library has been a cornerstone in the cultural and 
intellectual life of Detroiters. Throughout that time it has remained 
committed to its mission of enhancing the quality of life of the city's 
residents, and has worked to safeguard the history of Detroit and 
Michigan.
  When the Detroit Public Library opened on March 25, 1865 its 
collection consisted of 5,000 books housed in a single room of 
Michigan's first State Capital. The Detroit Free Press celebrated the 
library's inauguration by reporting that all Detroiters were anxious to 
support the new institution. The free access to information on the 
fields of science and literature was embraced as a public good worthy 
of praise. As enthusiasm for the library grew, so did its collection. 
On March 27, 1873 Michigan Governor John Judson Bagley signed into law 
a measure calling for the construction of a new library in Detroit.
  On January 22, 1877, the new home of the Detroit Public Library was 
dedicated and its first librarian, Professor Henry Chaney, was 
appointed. The building, the first to solely house the library, was 
designed in the Second Empire style by the Detroit architectural firm 
of Brush & Smith. Much of the detail work was completed by a young 
George D. Mason, who later went on to design the Detroit Masonic Temple 
and the Grand Hotel on Michigan's Mackinaw Island. In addition to its 
grand exterior, the library included a large reading room that featured 
ornate iron columns rising to a central skylight. The new building cost 
$124,000 or approximately $2.5 million when adjusted for inflation, and 
housed a collection that had grown to 33,604 items.
  Demand for the services of the Detroit Public Library continued to 
grow along with the city's population. In 1900, the Detroit Public 
Library opened three additional branches. In 1904 it opened two more. 
The library continued to expand over the next two decades, with each 
additional branch designed and constructed to highlight beauty as well 
as utility. The library also established 80 smaller stations located in 
schools, fire houses and factories throughout Detroit. Still, as the 
city boomed with the success of the automotive industry, the Detroit 
Public Library found itself in need of even more space.
  In March 1910, the City of Detroit accepted financial assistance from 
Andrew Carnegie to encourage the construction of a new, larger public 
library. In light of Detroit's growth, officials determined the new 
library should be located north of downtown. The city purchased land 
along Woodward Avenue for nearly $500,000--more than $11.1 million 
today--and hired Cass Gilbert to design the new building. Mr. Gilbert, 
an architect from New York, had designed the library in St. Louis and 
the Woolworth Building in New York City. He would also go on to design 
the James Scott Memorial Fountain on Detroit's Belle Isle, as well as 
the U.S. Supreme Court building in Washington, DC.
  The Detroit Public Library's main branch opened at its current 
location in March, 1921. With a final cost of $3 million--nearly $38.45 
million today--the Italian Renaissance inspired structure of white 
marble was immediately deemed the most beautiful building in Detroit. 
When it opened, the main library's collection included more than 
500,000 items. The library continued to grow. On June 23, 1963, the 
Cass Avenue wings of the main branch opened, doubling the size of the 
library to accommodate a collection that had reached almost 2 million 
items and served nearly 2 million residents.
  Today, the Detroit Public Library includes 23 locations and a 
collection of over 4.1 million items. It remains committed to 
increasing the quality of life in Detroit and addressing the changing 
needs of its residents. The library provides programs for adults, 
children, and teens designed to increase literacy and technical skill, 
encourage lifelong learning, promote multiculturalism, and ensure the 
equitable access to information. This year it is proud to celebrate the 
50th anniversary of its Junior Great Books Program and the 75th 
anniversary of its Bookmobile. It has also continued to serve the 
entire State of Michigan through its outstanding special collections, 
which include the 100-year-old Clarence M. Burton Historical 
Collection, the E. Azalia Hackley Collection of African Americans in 
the Performing Arts, the Rare Book Collection, and the Ernie Harwell 
Sports Collection.
  As the Detroit Public Library moves into the future, I am confident 
it will continue to contribute to the intellectual capital, diversity, 
creativity and community spirit of a great city. I am pleased to 
recognize the Detroit Public Library's Sesquicentennial and wish it 
another 150 years of service to the City of Detroit.

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