I told you so

If anyone ever had a reason to say, “I told you so” it was the woman in Bangor, Maine  who, in April of 1911, wrote a poem warning the city of Bangor that their indecision over building a new library, not made of wood, was putting the collection of 70,000 books at risk.

Thanks to Ryan R. Robbins’ detailed history in Bangor in Focus we can feel her pain and frustration...

We oft have dreamed of a library fair
That with other cities would well compare,
But our dreams alas! are but castles in air.
And our Bangor library is where -- Oh! Where?
Fair spring is come, 'twill soon be May,
The workingmen -- they need the pay --
The public wait from day to day
Still the trustees dally and delay.
And yet we wait tho' a year's gone by
And Bangoreans still for their library sigh.
Oh! Will the time then ne'er draw nigh?
And the question asked is, "Why, oh, why?"
Why should our books be allowed to burn?
Why should the trustees our wishes spurn?
The answer, alas! We have yet to learn
But the frailest worm will sometimes turn
Let the people then rally and no longer wait
Let them honor themselves and the Pine Tree state
With a building that's fair both for lowly and great
A blessing to all, free from discord and hate

- April 13, 1911

Can you imagine finding such eloquence in a letter to the editor in your morning paper?  

A photo of the fire from the Maine Memory Network

Three weeks later, on April 20, 1911, the library was engulfed in flames.  Only 29 volumes were rescued.   The entire collection was reduced to ashes, a complete and absolute loss.  My guess is that the poem’s author took no satisfaction in her accurate prediction or the loss of $300,000 worth of books.

The crushing blow might have discouraged other cities but in Bangor they packed up their one box of books, picked up 49 that were out getting bound and three weeks later were doing business in the basement of the Penobscot Court House.  The Portland Library, Maine State Library, Bowdoin College Library and a library in Medford, MA generously sent books to begin the collection once again.  

By January they already had 7,000 books (1,000 books had been checked out at the time of the fire).   Not surprisingly, the trustees decided to stop procrastinating and hired Peabody and Stearns to design a new brick and stone building.

Perhaps guilt was responsible for the decision to make the new library an “architectural showcase”.  Ryan Robbins describes the space that opened to the public on December 20, 1913 as “a copper-framed dome and rotunda, glass ceilings and floors for the second floor, and large fireplaces on the first floor. The trustees also voted to inscribe the names of 12 distinguished, New England-born writers on the rotunda: Aldrich, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Fiske, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Henry Longfellow, Lowell, Palfrey, Parkman, Prescott, Whittier and Bryant.”  

Librarians used the occasion to update their catalogue system to the new Dewey Decimal card catalog.  By 1920 the collection had returned to pre-fire size and six years later, at 120,000 volumes it would be the largest in the state of Maine.

The library was at full capacity by 1927 but there was no money to expand, it wasn’t until 1959 that a 30’ x 100’ addition relieved some of the pressure.  But that didn’t last long, as the library continued to grow the stacks became unsafe for patrons to walk through and librarians had to fill requests on demand.  It was clear that something had to be done about the library, but who would do it?  

None other than the most famous resident of Maine (and I don’t mean Andre the Seal)

Be Bold

Photo by Bill Timmerman

Architect Will Bruder had some challenges when it came to designing the Agave Library in Phoenix.  The building site was squashed between strip malls and residential developments and the budget had been slashed by previous projects.  Not really a designers dream come true.  But sometimes challenges are just what we need to come up with creative solutions.  Bruder did more than that, he created a brilliant, bold design that captivated the community and garnered a landmark library award from The Library Journal.  

We all face challenges in our life, some tiny and others gargantuan.
The secret is looking at them as opportunities to do something great.  Easier said than done.

One of my current challenges is renovating my old Victorian house.  My optimistic husband decided we could tackle the exterior painting (not to mention every other room in the house) on our own.  This includes a small first step of scraping several layers of pain off three stories of wood shingles and trim.  To reach the peak he made his own scaffolding and nailed it to the porch roof.  My neighbors stopped to watch in fascination.  

We’re on our third year and are about halfway through the project.  Along the way we picked out a terrific combination of colors that have restored elegance to a house that was sad and neglected for decades. Now our neighbors (and everyone else in town) stops to compliment our choices and cheer us on.

Sometimes bold is best.  But it doesn’t make it less scary.  

I would guess that the committee that agreed to the 56 ft. faux front with “Agave” painted in giant sideways letters felt a little nervous too.  Instead of trying to fit in with the bleak surroundings, Agave went bold and was rewarded with a library crammed with personality (it’s safe to say the space is  both extroverted and open).  The community wanted the inside to feel like a “public living room” with sections for kids, teens and adult readers.  Each section faces the window wall and has their own access to the reading garden.

Another challenge Agave faced was their budget.  Other unfinished projects in the library system  usurped part of the bond money leaving the branch with a smaller budget than anticipated.  Bruder and Partners used the challenge to create a less is more aesthetic that included a single service area, fewer walls, concrete floors and masonry walls.  The splashes of color from the furniture, rugs, art, books and magazines create an clean, modern space that is a refreshing desert getaway.

Now when I look at the expanse of old, peeling paint still clinging to the unfinished sides of my house, I will try not to be overwhelmed by the challenge.  Instead I will think of the scrubby strip of  undesirable land that was transformed into the oasis of the Agave Library.  I will imagine Will Bruder standing behind me, reminding me of the opportunity to create something beautiful with my own blood, sweat, creativity and heat gun.

Make A Checklist for Effective Living

Imagine designing a town from scratch!  What would you include?  A park? A school? A gourmet restaurant?  Of course, you’d have to start with a library...a place for the community to gather, learn, connect, recharge and be inspired!  Then maybe later we could think about a bank and a grocery store.

Herriman, Utah (south of Salt Lake City) is a planned community developed by The Sorensen Group, a real estate developer in Salt Lake City.  They opened a stunning library as a part of their “master plan community towne center”.  Prior to The Sorensen Group’s move, Herriman was a town of 1,500.  But by 1999 it was a city and has grown to over 18,000 residents.  A 12 year old city?  For East Coast folks it is a hard concept to even imagine - kids are 12 years old, dogs are 12 years old but even young towns start at 100 years old!  But things are different in Utah, there is plenty of room to spread out and just as many people looking for caring communities to settle down and raise their families.  
And what do young families want most?  Safe environments where their kids can grow and learn...like a fresh, new library.
The clean lines and sparkling glass of the library create a monument that the resident should be proud of.  Not only does it look great, but as a LEED certified building, it acts that way too.

LEED stands for Leadership in Environmental and Energy Design.  They are a set of sustainable principles that ensure new building are constructed with adequate attention to the environment.  More new libraries are opting for LEED buildings that save energy, have a low impact on the environment and conserve resources. Using LEED principles to build any space is a great example of win-win-win thinking.  Good for the environment, great on the long term budget, respectful of future generations and an extra win for looking good.  There also seem to be plenty of grants and incentives for environmentally friendly construction projects.

So, how does a building qualify for LEED certification? It’s a long process that starts before any shovels hit the dirt. LEED accredited architect, Tom Brennan, led Herriman through the process that included a commitment to a plethora of environmentally friendly criteria.

At the library site I found a great illustrated checklist...it reminded me of the old Girl Scout Handbook, filled with embroidered badges that could be yours if you only met the requirements on the checklist.  Buildings earn points for each item included.  Here’s a sample:

• install bike racks and designated parking for carpoolers and low emission vehicles
• include open outdoor spaces to encourage biodiversity
• capture storm water runoff
• install reflective roofing and solar panels
• provide a connection to the outdoors with an abundance of daylight
• use recycled products inside the library
• use low emission paint, sealant, adhesive and composite wood
• use the building to educate the community about protecting the environment

What if we had a checklist to follow each day?
If it creates outstanding libraries why not use it for outstanding people?
What would be on your checklist to certify your day as a success?

• Smile
• Eat healthy foods
• Love the people around you
• Exercise
• Think
• Laugh
• Help someone do something
• Work on something meaningful
• relax (a little)
• Feed the dog
• Go to bed early

I could even assign points to each criteria to track how successful each day was...
collect the data...make a graph...drive my family crazy...
‘CEL’ - Checklist for Effective Living
I got to go find a clipboard...