This main floor required very careful lighting design to both illuminate the enormous, beautiful rooms and to provide a comfortable modern work environment for researchers and browsers. Photo identification is required for the checkout of non-print items. Inside, patrons in the new computer areas, training rooms, browsing areas, and additional spaces will be looking out through these huge windows for the first time. Make a recurring annual gift. Rare books and genealogical materials have special storage areas at this level, protecting them from damaging light and other threats. Compare this photograph with the following rendering of what the new entrance will look like from almost the same angle. Resident cards are valid for 2 years; other cards must be renewed annually. Become a Friend or Renew My Support of the Friends of the St. Louis Public Library. Website Feedback. While much of the collection once housed in the stack tower was relocated into new spaces created throughout Central Library, some collections require special protection. A bird’s-eye view (actually taken from the landmark Park Pacific building undergoing restoration across Olive Street) of the Central Library construction site, taken on April 20th, 2011. This is one of the new bridges built across what was originally open courtyard space. Your St. Louis Public Library card is free if: St. Louis Public Library requires identification that shows your name and current address to receive a library card or renew an existing card. The change in grade from east to west made recreating the original staircase particularly tricky. Here in the Fine Arts Room artists and plaster craftsmen have recreated and set in place the portions of the ceiling removed decades ago. Skip to main navigation Skip to main navigation Skip to search Skip to search Skip to content. To its right is a glimpse of the 400 room Jefferson Hotel, which opened in 1904 to welcome visitors to the World's Fair. There are limits on some A/V items. The rectangular foundation for the new stainless steel canopy can be seen at the center of the photograph, as well as the curved wall of the reflecting pool it will float upon. From this height, one can clearly see the secret of Gilbert's design, with the Great Hall actually being a freestanding oval tower (with the flat gray roof) built within the enormous hollow square of the building, and connected by bridges across the open courtyard. Waldo. The department - which buys, catalogs, and prepares thousands of books, magazines, DVDs, and other new items every month for all 17 locations - has been moved into less valuable office space across 14th street. The St. Louis Public Library mobile app makes it easy to find and discover titles, place hold, renew items, rate titles, create list, view events and programs and find Branch information. ; lovers of digital magazines; music and movie streamers. County to Receive Millions for Rental and Utility Assistance. This is a "vault" that was built to hold new electrical equipment required by the utilities. The large, modern building to the left, just across 14th Street, is owned by the Library. Administrative offices and support services were moved into this building to open up new public service space in Central Library. By the end of March 2011 the electrical vault on the 14th Street side of the building was largely enclosed. On the front, diamond-tipped tools are being used to remove any broken mortar from the very fine joints between the stonework. Please note that available holds must be checked out within 7 days. For your protection, remember to report lost cards promptly to customerservice@slpl.org. Here a new beam is threaded carefully through the opening that has now become the main Locust Street entrance. The eight chandeliers that have hung in the Great Hall for almost 100 years were removed to be restored and relamped with modern energy-efficient sources. In Central Library's courtyard, the original staff bridges that connected the main building to the stack tower were surgically demolished and removed. St. Louis, MO 63103. Expedited Passport Renewals Get New Passport Fast Passport Courier Services Jet Lag Survival Guide St. Louis Public Library. Rhythms of Renewal will help you trade your anxiety for the vibrant life you were meant to live through four profound rhythms: rest, restore, connect, and create. The eight massive columns that jut slightly above the roof level surround shafts for the new elevators, which take patrons from the Atrium to either the Auditorium level, or the Great Hall level. Join Now or Renew Your Membership Contact St. Louis County Library Foundation 1640 S. Lindbergh Blvd. This enormous space once housed the Library's Technical Services department. You may renew your own items in the library, via the online catalog or by calling Customer Connect at 314-994-3300. The majority of this steel was used to create new structure within the shell of the original stack tower. When applying for a minor's library card, parents/guardians must present identification that shows the parent/guardian name and proof of current address. ... St. Louis MO. New wiring and control systems have been installed throughout the building. If you look closely at the nearest enormous round medallion that has been recreated, you will see that the detailed painting is only partially complete. As of mid-February, the unique ceilings in each of the five enormous main rooms of the main floor have been restored. The vaulted and delicately painted ceiling of the Olive Street entry is being studied by restoration experts to determine the best method of restoring its complex figures and colors. Construction on the Meramec Valley Branch began in May 2018. The chandeliers have been taken entirely apart, and each piece cleaned, polished, and coated with a protective lacquer. The size of the steel is required to carry the enormous weight of the new compact shelving high in the original stack tower. Read More. Technology changes so quickly that the Library must be able to adapt constantly. In the background, the topmost opening for the atrium ceiling can be seen, partially blocked by scaffolding. One of the original windows has been enlarged into a welcoming doorway, and the bridge will eventually be walled with glass, allowing you to look out into the fascinating courtyard architecture for the first time since the building opened. To renew in person, present your identification to Library staff at the checkout desk. This photograph from June 29, 2011 looks west across the original stack tower wing at the back of the building, facing Locust Street. (314) 241-2288. Leaks in the original copper linings marred the granite wall carvings over the years, which were cleaned later in the restoration process. Take a tour back in time and learn about Central Library's rich history that encompasses over 100 years. Website Feedback. Apply online and your library card number and pin will be emailed to you. Some of the more delicate restoration work has begun outside the building. Available … The skylight, inexplicably covered by florescent lights many years ago, has been restored and will once again light the room. Curbside Service is available from 1 p.m. – 6 p.m. Curbside Service. Explore St. Louis Public Library. The steel frame being erected now occupies that space, and contains high-speed elevators connecting all the floors, as well as new restrooms on each floor. The steel frame shown covers the courtyard; there will be three stories of new rooms and spaces housed below this roof. While major construction work was going on inside the building, other elements of the restoration were taking place elsewhere. First Time Application Fee 1. So much heavy work was going on in the basement that BSI Constructors brought machines as large as this Bobcat inside by driving them down the original delivery ramp and tunnel. The equipment was hidden underground to protect the views of Central Library's beautiful facades. 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