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About the Illinois State Library |
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Location and Hours of Operation Illinois State Library The Illinois State Library is located across the street from the historic Illinois State Capitol, and is within easy walking distance of downtown Springfield. The State Library is open from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, except state holidays. Design and Construction The Illinois State Library was created more than 150 years ago to serve the needs of state government. As the official library for state government, it has come a long way since 1839 when the young Secretary of State, Stephen A. Douglas, saw to it that space was reserved next to his new office for a small, fledgling library. Today, the Illinois State Library has become a computer-age doorway to worldwide information, providing patrons with an electronic bridge to the collections of universities, public and corporate libraries, and new information systems that will continue to develop into the 21st century and beyond. The Illinois State Library building was designed by the Chicago architectural firm of Graham, Anderson, Probst and White to harmonize with the other buildings in Springfield's Capitol complex. Although $36 million dollars was appropriated for the location and actual construction of the building, the entire project was completed approximately $500,000 under budget. Construction took nearly five years to complete. Illinois Authors The exterior features Indiana limestone set over a base of granite highlighted by a frieze etched with the names of 35 of Illinois' most distinguished authors. These 35 authors were either born in Illinois or spent a significant portion of their careers in Illinois. On June 6, 2003, the Illinois State Library building was officially rededicated and named in honor of the late Pulitzer Prize winner and Illinois Poet Laureate Gwendolyn Brooks. Brooks, who resided all her life in Chicago and died in 2000, was the first African-American to win the Pulitzer Prize in 1950 for her second published volume of verse, Annie Allen. In 1968, she was named Illinois Poet Laureate, succeeding Carl Sandburg, and served until her death. Permanent Art Collection Inside the Illinois State Library is a permanent collection of 33 works of visual art (painting, prints, drawing and photography) by contemporary Illinois artists. All of the pieces are part of a unifying concept--"Portrait of Illinois". The works were selected through a combination of limited invitations and open competitions. The competitions were held prior to the library's opening in 1990. More than 1,700 works of art were submitted and pared down to the 33 works permanently on display. View the permament art collection at the State Library. Important Dates June 20, 1990 - Illinois State Library is dedicated |
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