by Mike Sharkey
Staff Writer
First Lady Laura Bush still hasn’t committed to attending the Nov. 12 grand opening of the new Main Library, but City officials have scheduled a week’s worth of events to mark the opening of the fourth major vertical project within the Better Jacksonville Plan.
The day-long events on Saturday, Nov. 12 will get underway with a 9 a.m. parade from the original Cargenie Library on Adams Street (now the Bedell Dittmar Devault Pillans and Coxe law firm) past the Haydon Burns library to the new library on Laura Street. And that’s just the beginning of a week of events that should offer something of interest for everyone of every age.
“There are a whole variety of activities planned,” said Stacie Bucher, public relations coordinator for the library system. “There will be a couple of high school bands in the parade as well as kids from the mayor’s book club. At 10, we will have the dedication ceremony and during the day there will be live music and tours of the library.”
Bucher said the following week there will be twice-daily lectures — one at noon and one in the early evening on various literary topics — as well as music each day.
The mayor’s office has been pursuing Bush for several months because she is a former librarian. Mayoral spokesperson Kristen Key said her office hasn’t received official word from Bush, but plenty of others will be on hand for the opening of the $95 million project.
“The Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Honor Guard will present the colors,” said Key. “Mayor John Delaney will be there. City Council Vice President Michael Corrigan will also be there. We haven’t gotten a response back from the governor (Jeb Bush) yet and Secretary of State Glenda Hood has tentatively committed to being here. Library architect Robert A.M. Stern will also be here.”
With a little more than three weeks until the opening, Key said everything is on schedule regarding both the final stages of construction and the relocation of library personnel, books and equipment.
“We are opening on the 12th no matter what, rain or shine,” she said. “So far there have been no problems with construction and we are fully committed to opening on the 12th.”
Many of the week’s events are geared towards kids, especially since one of Mayor John Peyton’s big initiatives is early literacy. Each day, the library will host school tours and Thursday night is teen night. Friday, however, is for the adults.
“Several downtown restaurants are going to come in and sell food, we’ll have jazz music, tours and local artists will be able to display and sell their art,” said Bucher, adding the event is open to the public. “People will be able to see the public art in the library and we’ll have a cash bar. Downtown restaurants will be selling menu items for $1-$5.”
The week-long lecture series will includes talks from a representative from the Jacksonville Museum of Modern Art, local historian and author Wayne Wood and children’s book author Elaine Konigsburg. Sallie Ann Robinson will also be here to tell her story of growing up in the Gullah Islands area along the coast of South Carolina. Bucher said Robinson’s inspiration came from a meeting with famous Southern author Pat Conroy, who was assigned to Robinson’s school as a teacher before he became a well-known author.