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Spent this evening getting a sneak peak at the new DPL website. Looks good. Cleaner interface.  I hope when it is live they don’t make me think too much.

The library is in the Detroit cultural center area. College, museums, library, plenty of cafes. Where all the vibrant people of Metro Detroit thrive.

I enjoyed a tour of the library that brought back a memory for me around every corner.

I look forward to the post with wonderful photos on Detroit Moxie.

I think I spent at least one full day in that place the entire decade of 1970 and the entire decade of 1980 after that it was when I could drive down. Not nearly as often as I would have liked.  We still go there at least twice a month. But I will be in there way more often when the computer lab is complete. Wifi is a good attractor.

Conrad Welsing gave us historical tidbits while we walked the gilded halls. Conrad’s love for books, music and library life was enthusiastic as well as informative. He told us about the amazing computer lab project that is going on there and showed us the many computerized areas they already have working. Also the teen multimedia room has a feature that lend to the hope that kids will also become interested in the arts, the walls are lined with manga (Très cool!). And the game and music systems there are a sure draw to keeping kids in a place where they could thrive instead of get into trouble.

He told us about the various sections for books and that like the museum what you see in the public areas is only a fraction of the nearly 7 million books the DPL system has. I got to see the Ernie Harwell room. I didn’t know they had one.

They have many events at the DPL. The same night they hosted the #tweetup they had a AARP event and a Disco event, (I hope they have another disco discussion ‘cause I caught a glimpse and I’ve gotta sit through a whole one of these). 

People in the city as well as in the metro areas should really check out what is going on there. All over again.

They have a Facebook page. I fanned it. I hope to keep with the events via the FB Events app. But I also follow on Twitter.  Thanks to @beckdavis keeping on top of the metro area I caught the tweet just in time to run out and enjoy myself. When I heard the tweetup was at the Library I did not even think twice. That is one place in Detroit you can get me to anytime.

Walking the halls we heard about a few of the incredible and numerous murals, and there are so so many. Whenever you go to check out a book or a movie or to jump on the Internet on one of their computers take some time to stop in the halls and look around. Look up at the ceiling with all of its gold leaf and detailed carvings and moldings look at the artworks on the walls around you. These would be prizes in any museum. Take the time to really look closely at all the marble that lines the inner and outer structure. Think of how much work and time and care went into each square inch. It truly is a marvel and a beauty of architecture.

I was surprised to know that there are teams of elves that are master wood carvers that can be called upon to carve a broken piece of intricately carved whatever… the damaged piece is removed and the new takes it’s place. Seamless – they have such skills you would not know it was a replacement. I guess that is the idea. This piece of information was fascinating to me.

We stopped briefly in front of the lighted directory board probably installed in the late 60s. It is on the wall just inside the Woodward entrance. This was the way we found all the sections that housed all the books that contained the answers to all of our questions when I was a kid. On the tour we got to walk on and admire the stairway that is so incredible it just has to have it’s own role in movies.

Parents should take their kids here when they are very young. It is a way to instill awe. Both at the skill and the vision of such a landmark.  My mom took me and my fiends there and to this day these are my most heartfelt thoughts of my childhood. nostalgic and sappy.

It all make me miss my old neighborhood branch even more. The building was brick and just as impressive in it’s own much smaller less marble way. Each corner of stone is carved to say this is what knowledge can lead to, colossal achievements. If you learn you can do great things. Just sitting outside of the building after our girl scout meetings was inspiring and comforting at the same time. Learning who Shakespeare was while sitting on a stone step. Reading the whole teen choose your own adventure series one book at a time over the course of 3 summers. Thanks for the memories.

I am glad to see that the main branch is booming. Every time I go in there it is full of people. Parking is worth fighting for. And if you plan it right you can make a day out of a trip to the museum (you may try to get passes at the library) and get your read on, you can take in a concert or see a movie.  Remember too that this is the library which means they have classes. Learn computers or how to write a resume and search for a job too. This is where the knowledge lives and this is the life blood of the city. Live it. Share it. Experience it often and with friends.

Thanks for the memories @becksdavis @admore @davidlingholm @likelylad32 and of course our great host @detroitlibrary

Read the post and see the great photos of this masterpiece of a building by @becksdavis on Detroit Moxie