Madeline Douglass wrote:
I did not vote for fancy glass walls and custom quarried.... stone. I voted for a library where what
I can learn inside is more important than what's outside.
T-H-E W-I-N-G, be it cement, or steel (titanium?) or whatever it is symbolizes nothing more to
me than an incredible, extravagant waste. It's like giving a Faberge egg to a hungry kid.
What I'm talking about is what is needed and what is necessary versus what is excessive
and not needed. What I'm talking about is what makes a library a library. The building
is just a box sheltering the real treasure inside.
My name is Carol Becker. I am on the Oversight Board for the new Downtown Library after being treasurer for the referendum campaign, a referendum supported by over 106,000 Minneapolis residents. And I did vote for the W-I-N-G.
The Oversight Board could have built a plain box. We could have gotten some of those precast concrete walls like they use to slap up Wal-Mart's and other big box retailers. It would have very inexpensive and simply sheltered the books and nothing more. But it would not have said anything about Minneapolis. It would not have made our city more beautiful or interesting. It would not have said anything about who we are. It would not have been something that someone remembers as a child and brings their child to see. It would not have inspired discussion and debate. If we had simply built a plain box, it would have been a huge disservice to our citizens.
What we have strived to do is to build a building that will be an icon for our city. Something that truly says something about us. We went out and got an architect who had previously built another icon (Cesar Pelli built the Norwest Center, the lit-up builing on the Minneapolis skyline) and who had a long track record of building buildings which were sensitive to the people where they were built. (he also designed the Petronis Towers, the tallest building in the world, in Kuala Lampor). And we spent a lot of time talking about that "restrained enthusiasm" that characterizes who we are. And how we wanted something that would both be provocative as well as timeless. A statement for the City like the spoon and cherry or the IDS. It will be up to the community to say how well we did, how well we captured who we are in glass and stone. But we did try.
We also spent a lot of time discussing that we had to do it responsibly. A good artitect can do wonderful things with a lot of money. A great artitect can do wonderful things with a little money. And I believe that we have done some really great things without being extravigant with citizen's money.
To comment on some other specific points:
I did not vote for a museum worthy collection of priceless art. I voted for rotating exhibits of
artwork from the members of our community and more of the displays the library used to have
of its books, posters and manuscripts.
One of the great features is that there will be space to show off some of the items from the special collections. I was facinated when I was last up in the special collections area (in the old library) by the collection of anti-slavery literature that the library had on display. I"m really glad that more people will now be able to see these precious items now.
I did not vote for a "green roof" which will be expensive to maintain, and probably have limited accessibilty.
I voted for a few trees, maybe some grass, a small oasis where people could read, or listen or dream.
The green roof is there to help clean the water that falls on the building and avoid having to build more storm water holding capacity or pour more unclean water into the river. The green roof is also not being paid with Minneapolis taxpayer referendum dollars but through donations.
We have tried to be environmentally responsible with the construction of this building, from using cisterns for water for the plants to using Minnesota resources like the stone and windows to reduce shipping costs, to recycling as much of the old building as possible, to extremely energy efficient heating systems.
I did not vote for fancy fundraisers with the wealthy elite or a library so elegant, that the homeless
people who used to play chess there will be banned because they'll clash with the decor.
We specifically talked about the needs of the homeless people with our architect. We want the library to be welcoming for everyone and they were interviewed along with other user groups so we could take their needs into account.
I know that the referendum money is all for the New Central Palace and probably could not
be shared to repair Walker Library's leaking roof deck, or replace the ancient furnace
of another library or renovate East Lake, or fund the temporary location of Franklin Library.
But it should have been.
The intention of the referendum was to improve all of the libraries in the City. The referendum included both the downtown library and the needs of neighborhood libraries. The things that you specifically referred to are ebing addressed using the same pot of money as is being used for the Central Library. So far, Sumner, Linden Hills, and Pierre Bottineau are complete. Sumner just had its reopening last month. Franklin is under construction. A proposal to redo Walker is out although there has been great controversy as forces from the City have been trying to find ways of giving the site to a developer. East Lake and North Regional are just getting started while the other community libraries are scheduled in the near future.
Many Octobers ago now, Diane Hofstede and I loaded up our trunks with lawn signs and started driving from library to library, to talk to people about this referendum. It was hard, talking to people about this vision for the library system where both the centeral and the neighborhood libraries would be improved - gems of our community. But people believed because they believe in their libraries. And it is amazing today to see Sumner. To see Pierre Bottineau. And to finally see that W-I-N-G go up as the symbol of that belief.
Carol Becker Longfellow
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