Contact: Sandy Neerman
Phone: 336-373-2699

Benjamin Branch Library Grand Re-Opening Slated for January 7

GREENSBORO, NC -- (January 5, 2010) -- The Benjamin Branch Library, 1530 Benjamin Parkway, reopens with a flourish Thursday, January 7. A ceremony marking the occasion begins at 2 pm and will include City officials, including Mayor Bill Knight. The public is invited to attend.
 
The library’s new addition is approximately 1,600 square feet and accommodates an expanded children’s collection and reading area, as well as a new 600 square foot public meeting room. The exterior materials of the addition match the existing brick and include large south-facing windows that provide views of the site’s wooded area.
 
Also as part of the library’s renovation and modernization, the original clearstory windows above the main reading area have been uncovered and restored to allow additional natural light into the interior. The new interior finishes and furniture have been selected to work with and complement the building’s architectural style and be compatible with the historical importance of the original design.
 
The original 6,200 square foot building opened in 1970 as one of the Greensboro Public Library system’s first branches. It was designed by Edward Loewenstein, who is considered one of North Carolina’s most inventive architects of the post-World War II era. In 2006, Greensboro voters approved a bond referendum to renovate the library's existing interior and increase its overall size.

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