While downtown Fargo is temporarily without a library until April 25 when the New Main Library opens, we thought we would give some glimpses into what will be coming in the new library. For those driving by on 1st Avenue North, you can already see many things happening inside the library.

As part of those glimpses inside, you may see some very bright colors. There are bright yellow-greens, orange, magenta, various shades of blue, and summery golds. For some folks, these colors may be, well, a bit interesting.

The colors within the new library have their roots in the public meetings held in 2005 and 2006. When the architects from Meyer, Scherer and Rockcastle asked those attending the public forums what they wanted in a new library, there were several comments along the lines of “Fargo is white and grey six months of the year; we don’t want a white and grey library anymore.”

The architects listened. At the next meeting, they came back with a concept board. This board was a collage of photographs taken in North Dakota. As they presented it, Jeff Scherer and Jack Poling said, “look around you; there are many colors here in your region.” And yes, there are. There is the intense yellow-green of the first shoots of corn in the fields. There is the bright reddish pink of a prairie sunset. There is the glowing orange of sunrise on the plains. Yes, there are somber colors of brown and grey as fields lie dormant for the winter. But to balance that there are the brilliant blue skies, gold sunflowers, and purple canola fields in bloom.

The concept board with the photographs and paint colors pulled from the photos is on display at our Carlson Branch, along with the floor plans for the New Main Library. As the plans have gone through revisions and slight adjustments, the concept board and the colors have stayed constant.

So even during this week when we returned to a white world outside, as we work inside the New Main we are surrounded by the colors of our landscape.

Movers and the Fargo Public Library staff will begin moving the library’s collection into the new main library beginning this week. Moving the library’s collection from the temporary location at 408 Roberts St. into the new building at 102 3^rd St. N. will start between 8:30 and 9 a.m. on Tuesday, March 3.

Fargo’s new main Library is set to open to the public on Saturday, April 25 at 10 a.m.

On Friday, Feb. 27, the temporary library located at 408 Roberts St. will close for good so crews can begin moving everything from books and computers to art to the brand new Main Library in downtown Fargo.

The opening of the new 54,500 square feet library at 102 3^rd St. N. is planned for April 25. The new Main Library will be home to the library’s collection, reference services, an expanded children’s area, a quiet reading room, a community room, six study rooms and a technology lab.

The downtown book drop will still be available after the Roberts St. location is closed. All library materials due after Feb. 27 can also be returned to the Northport Branch (2714 N. Broadway) or the Dr. James Carlson Library (2801 32^nd Ave. S.).

The FPL Board recently approved the donor wall for the lobby of the new main library. An architect’s sketch (2MB PDF) gives an idea of the scale. To get your name on the wall, visit our support page to donate.

Take a look at our photo galleries to see the status of the demolition of main library. The groundbreaking for the new main library building will take place on September 5, 2007. Watch for the blog for more information about the event.

If you were by the old library before it started to come down, you might have noticed that the crab apple trees by the front door were gone (cue any George Washington jokes now, please).  The City Forestry Department and the Minn-Dak Woodturners Association took down the trees and treated them so that they could be turned into items that will grace the new library. If you are interested in seeing the photos we’ve included a sample below, but there’s more at MinnDak Woodturners’ Fargo Library Project web site.

In this photo the woodturners are treating the wood with some goop (Anchorseal) so that it doesn’t split.

If you are interested in what they are turning the trees into or in turning some of the wood yourself, make sure to swing by their page.

This morning the exterior demolition of the old library began. We’ve got some pictures that will go up over the course of the day, but to give you some samples:

It’s sad to see it go, but it’s served Fargo well for almost 40 years and we know the new, larger library will meet the city’s growing needs even better than the last.