PROVINCETOWN PUBLIC LIBRARY

CAPITAL CAMPAIGN – SPRING 2003

330 Commercial Street

Provincetown, MA  02657

508-487-7094

 
 


PROVINCETOWN PUBLIC LIBRARY

CAPITAL CAMPAIGN – SPRING 2003

330 Commercial Street

Provincetown, MA  02657

508-487-7094

 

 

“BOUND TO PLEASE . . . ”

“SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE . . . ”

“HERITAGE AND PROGRESS . . . ” only begins to describe our new Library at the

former Heritage Museum building, Commercial and Center streets, scheduled for completion in Fall 2004.

 

Architects Perry Dean Rogers|Partners of Boston have designed a 15,000 square-foot facility boasting a generosity of space that will embrace everyone.  Thanks to their informed insight and sensitive planning, our new Library will be one of the most eloquent historic sites in Town. 

 

The design follows Provincetown’s tradition of craftsmanship and frugality.  It reflects its people, principled and cautious, people who care about their Town.  It represents our commitment to cultural and historic preservation.

 

Words matter.  Books matter.  In our homes, books furnish a room; in the Library’s case, our “rooms” are many and growing larger – nearly four times larger, in fact.

 

Picture this – upon entering the new four-level Library through the restored historic entrance of this 1860 former Center Methodist Episcopal Church and passing the curved Circulation Desk, you will be instantly connected to a wonderful world of knowledge. 

 

o        The First Floor will hold New Books, Audio/Visual and Large Print collections, periodicals and computers with ample space to browse and your selections.  At the rear, a Reading Room will offer tables, chairs and comfortable seating for patrons who have long yearned for quiet space to read, study and do research. 

o        The Lower Level will house the Fiction, Non-Fiction, Reference and Local History collections, as well as computers.

o        The open design of the Second Floor will place the Children’s Library around the model of the “Rose Dorothea” and extend into the front tower with the “YA” (Young Adult) Room, which can  double as a small Meeting Room.

o        A Second Floor Mezzanine with extraordinary views of the Harbor will hold the Arts and Literature collections in the Tower Room with the side areas offering a Poet’s Corner and low book stacks.

 

All levels will be easily accessible via elevator or stairs.  Light will stream in from windows restored to their original size and design.

 

The beauty of our new Library is that it’s making its home in a way that can really change the role of an historic site from one of passive history-telling to a place of engagement and community – it becomes a launching pad to wherever one wishes to go . . . a place of infinite possibilities . . . an oasis for thirsty minds.

 

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BOOKS ARE THE SPICE OF LIFE AT THE PROVINCETOWN LIBRARY, and that translates into numbers. So here are a few up-to-the-minute statistics to spice up your life.  Last year we added to our collection

§         1,585 new books

§         130 videos

§         80 compact discs

 

And, thanks to a $19,000 Gates Foundation Grant, we have increased our computer availability to include

§         6 Internet PC’s for Public Access

§         2 CLAMS Online Catalog PC’s

§         1 Word Processing PC

§         1 Closed-Circuit TV (CC-TV) for Reading Equipment for the Visually Impaired

§         2 Children’s PC’s

§         1 HP LaserJet 4200 Printer

 

Our Library is open 7 days each week year round for a total of 48 hours per week, more than any other Library on the Cape. 

 

We offer a wide selection of books, materials and periodicals, including

§         28,000 Adult volumes

§         1,000 Young Adult volumes

§         6,000 Children volumes

§         165 Adult periodical subscriptions

§         51 Juvenile subscriptions

 

In 2002, residents borrowed 52,603 items, a 6% increase over 2001, reflecting the excellent quality of the Library’s collection and the superior work of our professional staff.

 

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EVENTS CALENDAR

LIBRARY BUILDING PROJECT BENEFITS

 

Wednesday to Saturday, July 23—26 – Friend’s “Book Sale” – Freeman Street Library, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Friday, August 15 – “Reception at the Packard Gallery” 418 Commercial Street, 7 to 9 p.m. Wine and Hors d’oeuvres. Silent Auction and Door Prizes. $100 per person or $500 for six.

Sunday, August 31 – “Vintage Jewelry Show and Sale” – more later on this.

 

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