Provo City Library facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Provo Library at Academy Square |
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| Country | United States |
| Type | Public Library |
| Established | 1905 |
| Location | 550 North University Avenue Provo, Utah 84601 |
| Other information | |
| Director | Gene Nelson |
| Website | http://www.provolibrary.com/ |
| References: | |
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Brigham Young Academy
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 Location in Utah
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| Architect | Multiple |
| Architectural style | Renaissance, Queen Anne, Educational |
| NRHP reference No. | 76001839 |
| Added to NRHP | January 1, 1976 |
The Provo City Library is a public library for everyone in Provo, Utah. It's located in a historic building that used to be the Brigham Young Academy, built way back in 1892. This building was even added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976, which means it's a really important historical site. After a big makeover, it reopened as the Provo City Library on September 8, 2001.
Contents
Library's Journey Through Time
The Provo City Library first started in 1905. It opened in the basement of the Provo City courthouse in October of that year. The library stayed there until 1908. During this time, people in the community donated 1,425 books. By April 1908, the collection had grown to 3,000 books!
On December 1, 1908, the library moved to a new building. This building was made possible by a generous gift of $17,500 from Andrew Carnegie. Over the years, the library kept growing. It eventually had about 65,000 books and 125 different magazines.
In 1989, the library moved again, this time to the City Center Building. Even though this new spot was bigger, it quickly became too small.
In February 1997, people voted to approve $16 million for a new library. This money helped save and fix up the old Brigham Young Academy building. On July 9, 1999, city leaders started the renovations for the new library. Finally, on September 8, 2001, the library fully opened its doors in its new, much larger home.
History of Academy Square Building
The Brigham Young Academy building was one of the biggest school buildings in the western Rocky Mountain area. The school's principal, Karl G. Maeser, helped design the building. He worked with Don Carlos Young, who was the architect. The Academy was located in northern Provo.
The building's name changed a few times over the years. In 1898, it was called the High School Building. Then, in 1922, it became known as the Education Building. It kept this name until 1968. In 1919, a special nickel bell from the old Provo Tabernacle was moved and placed in the Academy's bell tower.
After 1968, the Academy Square building was empty for 20 years. It slowly started to fall apart. Some people wanted to tear down the old buildings. But the people of Provo wanted to save this important historic site.
In 1997, money from the city and private donations helped fix up the Education Building. The other three buildings on Academy Square were taken down to make space for a parking garage. A BYU professor named L. Douglas Smoot led the efforts to raise money and restore the building. He became known as "the man who saved Academy Square." The renovation work began on July 9, 1999. The Academy Building was then reopened as the Provo City Library on September 8, 2001.
Cool Facts About the Library
The Provo City Library has almost 285,000 books, magazines, and other media items. If you have a Provo Library card, you can check them out! You can keep most items for three weeks. Library cardholders can have up to 250 items checked out at one time. This includes books, magazines, CDs, DVDs, and other special items. There's no limit on how many of each type of item you can check out. You can renew most items twice, as long as no one else is waiting for them.
The library also hosts many fun events and programs for the community:
- Summer Reading Programs: These programs encourage kids, teens, and adults to read lots of books during the summer.
- AuthorLink: This event brings famous authors to the Provo Library to talk about their books. Past authors include Brandon Sanderson, Gene Luen Yang, and Marissa Meyer.
- Fairy Tea: This is a popular tea party where young girls (and some adults) dress up as fairies. It's a fun event for families. Everyone over age 3 is welcome, as long as they wear a fairy costume or nice clothes and have a ticket. Tickets usually sell out fast!
- Learn It Classes: This is a monthly series of free classes on different topics. The library partners with other groups to offer these classes.
- The Attic at Academy Square: In 2014, the library turned a storage space into "The Attic." This is a special exhibit area that brings traveling exhibits from all over the country. All exhibits are free for everyone to visit.
- The Basement Creative Lab: In 2018, the library opened a special studio called the Basement Creative Lab. It's a place where Provo residents can create audio and video projects for free.
Where to Find the Library
The Provo City Library is located on University Avenue and 550 North.
The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. It was listed under its old name, Brigham Young Academy.
