Laurel Branch Library is the

Laurel, Maryland Laurel is a city in Maryland, United States, located midway between Washington and Baltimore on the banks of the Patuxent River. While the city limits are entirely in northern Prince George's County, outlying developments extend into Anne Arunde ...

branch of the

Prince George's County Memorial Library System The Prince George's County Memorial Library System (PGCMLS) is the public library system of Prince George's County, Maryland, United States, in the Washington metropolitan area. Its headquarters are in the Largo-Kettering Branch in Largo, Maryland ...

, at the intersection of Seventh Street and Talbott Avenue. The current Stanley Memorial Building opened to the public on November 28, 2016. This branch's buildings have been named after the family of Charles H. Stanley, a city

commissioner A commissioner (commonly abbreviated as Comm'r) is, in principle, a member of a commission or an individual who has been given a commission (official charge or authority to do something). In practice, the title of commissioner has evolved to in ...

(1880–1882),

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...

(1891–1893), and state comptroller (1911–1912). Friends of the Laurel Library, a philanthropic group of local community members, has supported the branch since January 1996.

Features

The library features over 50,000 books, DVDs, and magazines. Patrons have access to color printers and 53 computers. A double-sided fireplace offers warmth near a reading area, and a children's room uses a dinosaur theme, a nod to the

Dinosaur Park Dinosaur Park is a tourist attraction in Rapid City, South Dakota, United States. Dedicated on May 22, 1936, it contains seven dinosaur sculptures on a hill overlooking the city, created to capitalize on the tourists coming to the Black Hills to s ...

near Laurel. A gaming room may be used to play video games. For those short on time, the library has a drive-through window for picking up and returning library materials. The Laurel Branch of the Prince George's County Memorial Library System was the recipient of the 2018

AIA AIA or A.I.A. or Aia may refer to: Aia * Aia, a small town in the Basque province of Gipuzkoa, Spain * Aia, current Kutaisi, ancient capital of Colchis * Aia, another name for Aea (Malis), an ancient town in Greece * ''Aia'', the collected ed ...

ALA Ala, ALA, Alaa or Alae may refer to: Places * Ala, Hiiu County, Estonia, a village * Ala, Valga County, Estonia, a village * Ala, Alappuzha, Kerala, India, a village * Ala, Iran, a village in Semnan Province * Ala, Gotland, Sweden * Alad, S ...

Library Building Awards for excellence in architectural design. The public art commission for the Laurel library front entrance was awarded to the

Washington Glass School The Washington Glass School was founded in 2001 by Washington, DC area artists Tim Tate and Erwin Timmers. The school teaches classes on how to make kiln cast, fused, and cold worked glass sculptures and art. It is the second largest warm glas ...

. The high glass-and-steel sculpture was made involving the surrounding community and library groups. In a series of glass making workshops, images of books and stories, education and learning, and shared aspirations were created at the Washington Glass School to be incorporated into the internally illuminated tower.

History

Laurel's first library opened in 1916 in the Patuxent Bank Building and moved to 384 Main Street in 1929 in space shared with the Woman's Club of Laurel. The library got a building of its own in 1967. The former branch building, named Stanley Memorial Library, was dedicated on May 7, 1967 and completed a major expansion in 1993. Having outgrown its building, plans were made beginning in 2005 to replace it with a new facility. The library closed on March 8, 2014, and reopened at a temporary location behind the Laurel Municipal Center on March 31, 2014, to allow for construction. After nearly a year of delay, construction of the $14 million project was to begin in October/November 2014 with a grand opening in early 2016. The project's groundbreaking ceremony occurred on May 27, 2015, with an updated opening set for the last quarter of 2016. The Prince George's County Board of Library Trustees decided in January 2014 to remove the Stanley name from the new library, to be consistent in naming branches after their location rather than after people. A coalition of residents, including Mayor Craig Moe, campaigned to keep the Stanley name for historic reasons, and noted that the library was built on land donated by the Stanley family and named in accordance with the deed. Other residents said Charles Stanley was a

Confederate Confederacy or confederate may refer to: States or communities * Confederate state or confederation, a union of sovereign groups or communities * Confederate States of America, a confederation of secessionist American states that existed between 1 ...

soldier and by association was pro-slavery and his name should not be on the building. Library officials ultimately decided to keep the Stanley name on the building and place a memorial plaque in the building's lobby.

References

{{authority control Library buildings completed in 1967 Library buildings completed in 2016 Public libraries in Maryland Buildings and structures in Laurel, Maryland Washington metropolitan area Education in Prince George's County, Maryland