East Lake Library
The East Lake Library (or Birmingham Public Library East Lake Branch) is a branch of the Birmingham Public Library located at 5 Oporto-Madrid Boulevard South in East Lake.
After East Lake residents made an appeal to the Birmingham Library Board, the branch library was organized and opened on February 12, 1914 in the former East Lake City Hall. Local residents contributed furnishings and about 1,000 books to the new institution.
The present building was constructed in 1928. It was designed by Miller & Martin, the architects of the then-newly-opened Birmingham Public Library in Linn Park.
The branch is the site of Carrie Hill's "Storybook Mural", completed in 1937 on a commission from the Public Works of Art Projects Division of the Public Works Administration. Hill portrayed herself in the mural in the guise of "Mother Goose".
The library underwent a $999,000 renovation in 2009 and 2010. The project included new furnishings and equipment, including an elevator and emergency stair. The second floor, used formerly for municipal offices, was re-opened to the public as an auditorium, with its original stage. Funding came in part from a $250,000 grant from the Alabama Public School and College Education Fund secured by Representative Oliver Robinson.
References
- Cruikshank, George H. (1920) History of Birmingham and Its Environs: A Narrative Account of Their Historical Progress, Their People, and Their Principal Interests 2 volumes. Chicago, Illinois: Lewis Publishing Company. - via Birmingham Public Library Digital Collections
- Ruisi, Anne (January 19, 2011) "Birmingham's East Lake Library reopens after $1 million renovation." Birmingham News
External links
- East Lake Branch at bplonline.org
- East Lake Library on Google Street View