Millennium Library (Winnipeg)


The Millennium Library is the main branch of the Winnipeg Public Library located in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. It was known as the Centennial Library from 1977 until 2005. The library is located at 251 Donald St, and serves approximately 5,000 visitors each day.
The four storey, library boasts a local history room, public art, information displays, a grand staircase, as well as access to the Winnipeg Walkway system. The Best of Friends Gift Shop is also situated within the building.

History

In May 1968 Mayor Stephen Juba proposed that a new Centennial Library be built by 1970 to honour Manitoba's 100th birthday. A plan was put in place to relocate the main branch on Graham Avenue between Smith and Donald Streets, on the site of Columbus Hall where Bell Drugs, Rainbow Dance Gardens, and J's Discotheque were located. In March 1969, the city announced it wanted to purchase the land between Graham and St. Mary and Smith and Donald for $1.75 million. The construction of the new library and underground parking for 500 cars cost $9 million. In December 1973, Ward, MacDonald, Cockburn, McLeod and McFeetors were selected as the architectural firm to design the new library. The province chipped in $900,000 towards the cost. A sod turning ceremony, commencing construction was held on December 20, 1974, with actual construction beginning in March. The new library would have room for 600,000 books within its 350,000 sq. ft. The construction tender was awarded to Poole Construction Ltd.. The original cost of the project was estimated at $8,478,462, though that figure had risen to $9 million afterwards. A construction strike and winter work conditions caused the project to be completed four months later than originally calculated.
The underground parkade, for 550 vehicles, opened early December 1976.
The Central branch closed February 21 and the Downtown branch closed February 25, 1977 so that materials could be moved over to the new Centennial Library.
The library was opened to the public on March 16, 1977 as the Centennial Library. It replaced the Central branch on William Avenue. Fifty-five hundred people visited on opening day, and 5,188 books and magazines were checked out. Al Ducharme greeted members of the public and borrowed the first book at the new library.

Expansion

Started in 2003 and completed in 2005, the $21 million redevelopment of Winnipeg's main library branch involved the addition of of new space, construction of a new fourth floor and renovations throughout the existing library. The library now features a new Reading Terrace with a four storey high solar glass wall, positioned alongside a new grand staircase, along with two new glass elevators, and a passive solar wall on the southeast face of the building. The Millennium Library opened on November 8, 2005 after $18 million of renovations were constructed over a two-year period. The work was completed a year late and $4 million over budget.
In 2013, Toronto-Dominion Bank presented a $150,000 gift to be used towards renovations of Millennium Library's TD New and Noted area. The renovations will include open-concept space, as well as direct access to Millennium Library Park.

First Floor

Memberships, Checkin, Returns, Holds, Checkout, Self-Checkout, Children's Services, Teen Central, Aboriginal Reading-in-the-Round, Includes New & Noted, Adult Fiction, New Fiction and Non-Fiction, Express Bestsellers, Paperbacks, Magazines, Express Computers, Winnipeg Transit Kiosk, Security desk.

Second Floor

DVDs, CDs, Talking Books, Books on CD & Cassette, Large Print, Biographies, Scores, Services for People with Special Needs, Carol Shields Auditorium, Buchwald Room, Anhang Room, Meeting Room 1, Meeting Room 2, Tutorial Room A, Tutorial Room B.

Third Floor

Millennium Library Local History Room, Computer Training Lab, Newspapers, Reference Magazines, Microfilm, Vertical Files, Stack Reference, Copiers.

Fourth Floor

Non-fiction, Reference Collection, Government Documents, Computers, Meeting Room 3.

Millennium Library Park

Finished 2012, the park alongside the Millennium Library underwent a $4.3-million reconstruction. The rebuilt plaza has an artificial wetland aerated by a pair of windmills, a wooden walkway built out of sustainably farmed wood, birch trees planted in deep pots, two new pieces of public art, and low fences and a raised floor.
The park now features five distinct outdoor zones:
When the Millennium Library reopened, there was no money left in the budget to rebuild the park.
Work on the park could not commence until a membrane was built over the parkade below it. Rebuilding the plaza itself was funded equally by all three levels of government. The Winnipeg Arts Council arranged financing for the two pieces of public art: Sentinel Of Truth and emptyful.
Reconstruction Costs:
The redevelopment plan was spearheaded by the Winnipeg Library Foundation.

Public Art

The following public art installations are viewable in and around the Millennium Library.
"emptyful", the erlenmeyer flask-shaped fountain, is the most expensive piece of public art in Winnipeg history. It is illuminated by four bands of LED lights at night and uses both water and fog. During the summer, when the fog and water elements will be operational, the fountain is illuminated in blue, green and purples hues. During the winter, when the water elements are not operational, the artwork is lit up with reds, oranges and yellows.

Security issues

Security issues at the Millennium Library have increased since 1989 and have been an increasing problem since.
Numerous incidents involving aggressive visitors to the library, some involving weapons, open liquor have been documented by the Winnipeg Police Service and the head of the Winnipeg Public Library. In early 2019 the staff of the Library felt that they needed to increase the level of security, to protect both the staff who provide assistance and for patrons who are there to study. Measures were taken, where weapons and liquor were held by a private security firm and could be collected after the library visitor had left.
When the new security protocol came into effect on February 28, 2019 a group of university students had created an ad-hoc group, opposing the changes, saying it invades patron's privacy.
The library reported in early September 2019 that the new security measures had the intended effect of decreasing the numbers aggressive patrons who bring in weapons and/or alcohol. However, it has also had the unintended effect of decreasing the numbers of legitimate patrons who are there to study.
In February 2020, musician John K. Samson wrote and released "Millennium for All", a song supporting the activist campaign against the security restrictions.