The Roanoker January/February 2024 - 66
Then & Now
Literary Evolution
written by Jenny K. Boone
The beloved Roanoke Public Library had modest beginnings, continuing to provide a community space after all these years.
T
66
he city's pride.
These headliner words in a
Roanoke Times article describe the
Roanoke Public Library at its 40th
anniversary.
The library, a consistent city icon, has a storied
history.
Pictured here is the library in its earliest
form at the Terry House in Elmwood Park.
The city purchased the park and house in 1911.
The library opened there to the public in
1921. It remained at the Terry House until
relocating to a new and larger building at the
northwest corner of Elmwood Park in 1950.
Its construction and design was approved
before World War II, but the war's shortages
and challenging finances pushed back the construction
timeline.
In the years following, there were various
changes and expansions at the library, including
the addition of a second building in 1982
with a bridge connecting the two structures.
The new 15,500-square-foot addition housed
a research area, including the Virginia Room
and reference department, which remain
today.
Fast forward to 2014 when the library
reopened after an 11-month closure and a $3
million renovation. The work made way for a
new children's mezzanine and yellow slide, new
computer terminals and books, self-checkout
stations and about 2,500 square feet of additional
space for books and patrons.
Today's library, still operating at its longtime
spot on Jefferson Street, serves as a symbol of
the city's past and its evolving present. I
JENNY KINCAID BOONE is a Roanoke-based freelance writer and former business journalist. She is a Roanoke College and Northwestern University graduate who is passionate
about exercise and chai latte.
january/february 2024
TheRoanoker.com
ANA MORALES / ARCHIVAL IMAGE COURTESY OF THE VIRGINIA ROOM, ROANOKE PUBLIC LIBRARIES
http://www.TheRoanoker.com
The Roanoker January/February 2024
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Roanoker January/February 2024
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