Off the Shelf: A Library Celebration and Everyone is Invited
By Sharon Saye on September 17, 2014 from Off the Shelf via Connect-Bridgeport.com
The Bridgeport Public Library is reaching a landmark next month and I recommend that everyone mark their calendars for October 5th from 1-3 p.m. when we plan to celebrate it.
The library spent its first thirty-eight years on the second floor of the Benedum Civic Center as a gift to the citizens of Bridgeport from Michael Benedum. The location served the community well for those years, but by 1993, the upper level of the Civic Center had reached maximum load with 65,000 books in just 2800 sq. ft. The City and the Library Board had been discussing this problem for around a decade, but had not found a solution until Leonard J. Timms, Sr. recommended we look at the Allstate Insurance Building on Johnson Avenue.
I must admit that I didn’t see how this building could work, but Mr. Timms had a lot more vision than I. When the Board was given a tour, all our eyes widened with amazement. The building had an open floor plan with computer access throughout, great parking, and at 15,000 sq. ft. looked to our eyes like pure heaven. So in 1993-1994, the citizens of the region raised over 1.3 million dollars in pledges to pay for the building. The City took out the amount in municipal bonds, and the Library Trust has been making payments for twenty years.
The landmark is that our last payments are due October 1st and then the library building is ours. So to celebrate we are holding a party on Sunday, October 5th, from 1- 3 p.m. There will be music, reminiscences, and refreshments. The music will be provided by the Bridgeport High School Jazz Band, the reminiscences by people who attended the dedication, helped raise money and move the library, and the refreshments are courtesy of the Woman’s Club of Bridgeport. Everyone is invited to come and celebrate with us. It doesn’t matter if you helped twenty years ago or are a new library visitor, please come to our celebration.
It took an astonishing effort twenty years ago to raise the funds and move the library, and now, the project is complete. So mark your calendars and stop by to join your friends and neighbors celebrate a singular achievement.
