The Millennium Library (known as the Centennial Library from 1977 to 2005) is the main branch of the

Winnipeg Public Library The Winnipeg Public Library (french: Bibliothèque publique de Winnipeg) is a public library system in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Branches provide programming for children, teens, and adults. The Library also contains an Outreach Department which works ...

system, located in

downtown Winnipeg Downtown Winnipeg is an area of Winnipeg located near the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers. It is the oldest urban area in Winnipeg, and is home to the city's commercial core, city hall, the seat of Manitoba's provincial government, a ...

Manitoba Manitoba ( ) is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada at the Centre of Canada, longitudinal centre of the country. It is Canada's Population of Canada by province and territory, fifth-most populous province, with a population o ...

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. The library is located at 251 Donald Street, and serves approximately 5,000 visitors each day. The four-storey, library boasts a local history room, public art, information displays, a grand staircase, as well as access to the

Winnipeg Walkway The Winnipeg Walkway System, also known as the Winnipeg Skywalk, is a network of pedestrian skyways and tunnels connecting a significant portion of downtown Winnipeg, Manitoba. The City of Winnipeg described the Walkway as a system of 14 skyways ...

system. The Best of Friends Gift Shop is also situated within the building.

History

In May 1968, Mayor

Stephen Juba Stephen Juba, (July 1, 1914 – May 2, 1993) was a Canadian politician. He was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba from 1953 to 1959, and served as the 37th Mayor of Winnipeg from 1957 to 1977. He was the first Ukrainian Canad ...

proposed that a new Centennial Library be built by 1970 to honour Manitoba's 100th birthday and to replace the Carnegie-funded main branch of the

at 380 William Avenue (now the City of Winnipeg Archives). A plan was put in place to relocate the main branch on Graham Avenue between Smith and Donald Streets, on the site of Columbus Hall (Aragon Building) where Bell Drugs, Rainbow Dance Gardens, and J's Discotheque were located. In March 1969, the city announced that it wanted to purchase the land between Graham & St. Mary and Smith & Donald for $1.75 million. In December 1973, ''Ward, MacDonald, Cockburn, McLeod and McFeetors'' were selected as the architectural firm to design the new library, while the construction tender was awarded to Poole Construction Ltd. (now PCL). While the original cost of the project—including the library and underground parking—was estimated at $8,478,462, that figure had risen to $9 million by the end, for which the province chipped in $900,000. A sod-turning ceremony to commence construction was held on 20 December 1974, with actual construction beginning in the following March. The new library would have room for 600,000 books within its space of 350,000 square feet. The 550-vehicle underground parkade opened first, in early December 1976. Winnipeg Public Library's Central branch (380 William Ave) closed on 21 February 1977 and its Downtown branch (408 Portage Ave) closed February 25 allowing materials to be moved over to the new Centennial Library. The Centennial Library was officially opened to the public on 16 May 1977, four months later than originally calculated, due to a construction strike and winter work conditions. Fifty-five hundred people visited on opening day, and 5,188 books and magazines were checked out. Councillor Al Ducharme (ICEC - St. Vital) greeted members of the public and borrowed the first book at the new library. Prior to 2003, the Library has undergone interior alterations in 1985, 1986, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996; as well as interior and exterior changes to the library parkade in 1991, 1992 and 1993.

Expansion

Started in 2003 and completed in 2005, the $21-million redevelopment of the Centennial Library involved the addition of of new space, construction of a new fourth floor, and renovations throughout the existing library. The library now features a new Reading Terrace with a four-storey high solar glass wall, positioned alongside a new grand staircase, along with two new glass elevators, and a passive

solar wall Solar air heating is a solar thermal technology in which the energy from the sun, insolation, is captured by an absorbing medium and used to heat air. Solar air heating is a renewable energy heating technology used to heat or condition air for bui ...

on the southeast face of the building. The design of the library won the ''Canadian Architect'' magazine Award of Excellence for 2004, the first design of a Winnipeg building to ever receive the award. The Millennium Library opened on 8 November 2005 after $18 million of renovations were constructed over a two-year period. The work was completed a year late and $4 million over budget. In 2013,

Toronto-Dominion Bank Toronto-Dominion Bank (french: links=no, Banque Toronto-Dominion), doing business as TD Bank Group (french: links=no, Groupe Banque TD), is a Canadian Multinational corporation, multinational banking and financial services corporation headquarte ...

presented a $150,000 gift to be used towards renovations of Millennium Library's ''TD New and Noted'' area. The renovations included

open-concept Open plan is the generic term used in architectural and interior design for any floor plan that makes use of large, open spaces and minimizes the use of small, enclosed rooms such as private offices. The term can also refer to landscaping of h ...

space, as well as direct access to Millennium Library Park.

Floor plan

First floor (Reader Services) The first floor includes the following areas: * Reader Services — Adult fiction: mysteries,

science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel unive ...

fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving Magic (supernatural), magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy ...

romance Romance (from Vulgar Latin , "in the Roman language", i.e., "Latin") may refer to: Common meanings * Romance (love), emotional attraction towards another person and the courtship behaviors undertaken to express the feelings * Romance languages, ...

graphic novel A graphic novel is a long-form, fictional work of sequential art. The term ''graphic novel'' is often applied broadly, including fiction, non-fiction, and anthologized work, though this practice is highly contested by comic scholars and industry ...

s, inspirational, and

westerns The Western is a genre set in the American frontier and commonly associated with folk tales of the Western United States, particularly the Southwestern United States, as well as Northern Mexico and Western Canada. It is commonly referred ...

** TD New & Noted (sponsored by

) — New books (Adults); Express

bestseller A bestseller is a book or other media noted for its top selling status, with bestseller lists published by newspapers, magazines, and book store chains. Some lists are broken down into classifications and specialties (novel, nonfiction book, cookb ...

Paperback A paperback (softcover, softback) book is one with a thick paper or paperboard cover, and often held together with adhesive, glue rather than stitch (textile arts), stitches or Staple (fastener), staples. In contrast, hardcover (hardback) book ...

s and magazines * Children's and Teen Services —

Children's fiction Children's literature or juvenile literature includes stories, books, magazines, and poems that are created for children. Modern children's literature is classified in two different ways: genre or the intended age of the reader. Children's ...

and

non-fiction Nonfiction, or non-fiction, is any document or media content that attempts, in good faith, to provide information (and sometimes opinions) grounded only in facts and real life, rather than in imagination. Nonfiction is often associated with be ...

;

audiobook An audiobook (or a talking book) is a recording of a book or other work being read out loud. A reading of the complete text is described as "unabridged", while readings of shorter versions are abridgements. Spoken audio has been available in sc ...

s and music;

DVD The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kind ...

Blu-ray The Blu-ray Disc (BD), often known simply as Blu-ray, is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released on June 20, 2006 worldwide. It is designed to supersede the DVD format, and capable of sto ...

, and

video Video is an electronic medium for the recording, copying, playback, broadcasting, and display of moving visual media. Video was first developed for mechanical television systems, which were quickly replaced by cathode-ray tube (CRT) syste ...

movies; Paperbacks, magazines, and graphic novels; and Ah kha koo gheesh ** Teen Central —

Teen fiction Adolescence () is a transitional stage of physical and psychological development that generally occurs during the period from puberty to adulthood (typically corresponding to the age of majority). Adolescence is usually associated with the te ...

and non-fiction books, paperbacks, magazines, and graphic novels, as well as computers and study space for teens only. The first floor also includes memberships; check-ins; returns, holds, and checkout (including self-checkout); the Aboriginal Reading-in-the-Round; express computers; a

Winnipeg Transit Winnipeg Transit is the public transit agency, and the bus-service provider, of the City of Winnipeg, Manitoba. Established years ago, it is owned by the city government and currently employs nearly 1,600 people—including approximately 1,1 ...

kiosk; and a security desk. Second floor (Special Services) The second floor includes: *

Writer-in-Residence Artist-in-residence, or artist residencies, encompass a wide spectrum of artistic programs which involve a collaboration between artists and hosting organisations, institutions, or communities. They are programs which provide artists with space a ...

* Movies:

and NFB Film (and a DVD/Blu-ray viewing station) * Music: CD, scores *

Large-print Large-print (also large-type or large-font) refers to the formatting of a book or other text document in which the typeface (or font) are considerably larger than usual to accommodate people who have low vision. Frequently the medium is also increa ...

books, magazines * Audiobooks * Wii ghoss (Aboriginal Resources) * Multilingual,

ABE Abe or ABE may refer to: People and fictional characters * Shinzo Abe (1954–2022), former Prime Minister of Japan * Abe (given name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name or nickname * Abe (surname), a list of people a ...

(adult literacy),

ESL English as a second or foreign language is the use of English by speakers with different native languages. Language education for people learning English may be known as English as a second language (ESL), English as a foreign language (EFL ...

, Learn English * DAISY, Talking Books, Talking Terminals, TTY * Meeting and tutorial rooms: Anhang Room, Buchwald Room, Carol Shields Auditorium, Dr. Anne Smigel Room, Blankstein Art Gallery, Meeting Room 1, and Tutorial Rooms 1 and 2. The second floor also houses the Winnipeg Library Foundation and connects to the Winnipeg Skywalk. Third floor (Micromedia Services) The third floor includes: newspapers and

microfilm Microforms are scaled-down reproductions of documents, typically either photographic film, films or paper, made for the purposes of transmission, storage, reading, and printing. Microform images are commonly reduced to about 4% or of the origin ...

; a study room; book sales; a

light therapy Light therapy, also called phototherapy or bright light therapy is intentional daily exposure to direct sunlight or similar-intensity artificial light in order to treat medical disorders, especially seasonal affective disorder (SAD) and circadi ...

lamp; and the "Richardson Reading Terrace." Fourth floor (Information Services) The fourth floor includes: * Adult

(000-999) *

Biographies A biography, or simply bio, is a detailed description of a person's life. It involves more than just the basic facts like education, work, relationships, and death; it portrays a person's experience of these life events. Unlike a profile or c ...

Reference work A reference work is a work, such as a paper, book or periodical (or their electronic equivalents), to which one can refer for information. The information is intended to be found quickly when needed. Such works are usually ''referred'' to f ...

Map A map is a symbolic depiction emphasizing relationships between elements of some space, such as objects, regions, or themes. Many maps are static, fixed to paper or some other durable medium, while others are dynamic or interactive. Although ...

s and

atlas An atlas is a collection of maps; it is typically a bundle of maps of Earth or of a region of Earth. Atlases have traditionally been bound into book form, but today many atlases are in multimedia formats. In addition to presenting geographic ...

es * Government documents * Local History Room — a reference-only collection that features community

history of Manitoba The history of Manitoba covers the period from the arrival of Paleo-Indians thousands of years ago to the present day. When European fur traders first travelled to the area present-day Manitoba, they developed trade networks with several First ...

. ** Local history fiction & non-fiction ** Henderson Directories **

Vertical file A vertical file (sometimes referred to as a clippings file or pamphlet file) is a collection of material, such as news clippings, booklets, maps, pictures, pamphlets, tourism brochures, or other grey literature, created and maintained by libraries ...

s * Meeting Rooms ** Computer training lab ** Meeting Room 2

Millennium Library Park

Millennium Library Park is the park and plaza that sits alongside the Millennium Library. Finished 2012, the park underwent a $4.3-million reconstruction. The rebuilt plaza has an artificial

wetland A wetland is a distinct ecosystem that is flooded or saturated by water, either permanently (for years or decades) or seasonally (for weeks or months). Flooding results in oxygen-free (anoxic) processes prevailing, especially in the soils. The ...

aerated by a pair of windmills, a wooden walkway built out of sustainably-farmed wood, birch trees planted in deep pots, two new pieces of public art, and low fences and a raised floor. The park now features five distinct outdoor zones: * The Millennium Plaza * Crossroads Plaza * The Learning Commons * The Urban Wetland * The Jim Pattison Foundation Reading Garden When the Millennium Library reopened, there was no money left in the budget to rebuild the park. Work on the park could not commence until a membrane was built over the parkade below it. Rebuilding the plaza itself was funded equally by all three levels of government. The Winnipeg Arts Council arranged financing for the two pieces of public art: Sentinel Of Truth and emptyful. Reconstruction costs: * $2.1 million to rebuild the plaza * $1.5 million to replace a membrane over the roof of the Millennium Library Parkade * $575,000 to commission and install "emptyful" * $90,000 for "Sentinel Of Truth" The redevelopment plan was spearheaded by the

Winnipeg Library Foundation Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. It is centred on the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, near the longitudinal centre of North America. , Winnipeg had a city population of 749,6 ...

Public Art

The following public

art installations Installation art is an artistic genre of three-dimensional works that are often site-specific and designed to transform the perception of a space. Generally, the term is applied to interior spaces, whereas exterior interventions are often called ...

are viewable in and around the Millennium Library: * Bill Pechet's "emptyful" (Park) — a

stainless-steel Stainless steel is an alloy of iron that is resistant to rusting and corrosion. It contains at least 11% chromium and may contain elements such as carbon, other nonmetals and metals to obtain other desired properties. Stainless steel's resis ...

sculpture including water elements * Darren Stebeleski's "Sentinel of Truth" (Park) — a wall of weathering steel, covering and protecting bits of text inscribed into stainless steel. *

Cliff Eyland Cliff Eyland (November 7, 1954 – May 16, 2020) was a Canadian painter, writer and curator. Career Born in Halifax and raised in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Eyland studied art at Holland College, Mount Allison University, and the Nova Scotia Col ...

's "Untitled" (Lobby) * Nicholas Wade's "Illumination" (Richardson Reading Terrace base) * Charlie Johnson's "Story Lines" mural (Skywalk) * J.A. Long's "Andrew Carnegie" portrait (Richardson Reading Terrace) * Timothy Ray and Dale Amundson's "A.R. or R.A." (Children's Services) "emptyful", the erlenmeyer flask-shaped fountain, is the most expensive piece of public art in Winnipeg history. It is illuminated by four bands of LED lights at night and uses both water and fog. During the summer, when the fog and water elements will be operational, the fountain is illuminated in blue, green and purples hues. During the winter, when the water elements are not operational, the artwork is lit up with reds, oranges and yellows. File:Winnipeg Millennium Library and emptyful sculpture 01.JPG, emptyful (in Winter) File:Sentinel of Truth sculpture in Winnipeg's Millennium Library Park.JPG, Sentinel of Truth File:Cliff Eyland's "Untitled", in the lobby of Millenium Library in Winnipeg Manitoba 01.JPG, Cliff Eyland's "Untitled", in the lobby File:Detail of Charlie Johnson's "Story Lines" mural in the Millenium Library of Winnipeg, Manitoba.JPG, Detail of Charlie Johnson's "Story Lines" mural

Security issues

Security issues at the Millennium Library have increased since 1989 and have been an increasing problem since. Numerous incidents involving aggressive visitors to the library, some involving weapons, open liquor have been documented by the

Winnipeg Police Service The Winnipeg Police Service is the police force of the city of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. History When Winnipeg became a city, in 1873, an election was held to select the city's new mayor and aldermen. Those appointed decided to hire city o ...

and the head of the

. In early 2019 the staff of the library felt that they needed to increase the level of security, to protect both the staff who provide assistance and for patrons who are there to study. Measures were taken, where weapons and liquor were held by a private security firm and could be collected after the library visitor had left. When the new security protocol came into effect on 28 February 2019, a group of university students had created an

ad-hoc Ad hoc is a Latin phrase meaning literally 'to this'. In English, it typically signifies a solution for a specific purpose, problem, or task rather than a generalized solution adaptable to collateral instances. (Compare with ''a priori''.) Com ...

group, opposing the changes, saying it invades patrons' privacy. The library reported in early September 2019 that the new security measures had the intended effect of decreasing the numbers of aggressive patrons who bring in weapons and/or alcohol. However, it has also had the unintended effect of decreasing the numbers of legitimate patrons who are there to study. In February 2020, musician John K. Samson wrote and released "Millennium for All", a song supporting the activist campaign against the security restrictions. In December 2022, a man was fatally stabbed at the library, with the library being temporarily closed as a result.

References

External links

Winnipeg Public Library – Millennium LibraryWinnipeg Library Foundation — Millennium LibraryFriends of the Winnipeg Public Library
{{Authority control Buildings and structures in downtown Winnipeg Library buildings completed in 1977 Public libraries in Manitoba 1977 establishments in Manitoba Libraries established in 1977