Peter White Public Library Marquette-2019

The Peter White Public Library is a public library and

community center Community centres, community centers, or community halls are public locations where members of a community tend to gather for group activities, social support, public information, and other purposes. They may sometimes be open for the whole co ...

in the City of

Marquette, Michigan Marquette ( ) is a city in Marquette County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 20,629 at the 2020 United States Census, which makes it the largest city in the Upper Peninsula. Marquette serves as the seat of government of Marquett ...

. The library building has stood at 217 North Front Street since 1904. An extensive renovation and addition was completed in 2000. The building also houses the Marquette Arts and Culture Center. The library is named after Peter White, a local businessman, postmaster, real estate developer, Michigan state legislator, and philanthropist who lived from 1830 until 1908. During Fiscal Year 2018-19 the library contained approximately 184,000 items—including books, magazines, DVDs, CDs, art prints, E-books, and other formats. During that same year, the library welcomed an average of 639 visitors per day and circulated a total of 237,606 items. The library is owned by the citizens of the City of Marquette. Nine townships in Marquette County also contract service with the library, bringing the total population served to over 37,000. The library serves persons who live or own property in the following communities: City of Marquette, Chocolay Township, Ewing Township, Marquette Township, Sands Township, Skandia Township, Turin Township, Wells Township, and West Branch Township. The library maintains remote book drops for the return of materials at the township halls in Chocolay, Sands, and Skandia Townships. An additional drop in Marquette Township is located at the Westwood Mall, just outside the southwest corner of the building.

Other services

* United States Passport Agency * Meeting rooms for public use * Faxing * Document scanning * Printing / copying * Extensive genealogy and

local history Local history is the study of history in a geographically local context, often concentrating on a relatively small local community. It incorporates cultural and social aspects of history. Local history is not merely national history writ small ...

collections * Exam proctoring * Programs and exhibits * Digital

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

E-books An ebook (short for electronic book), also known as an e-book or eBook, is a book publication made available in digital form, consisting of text, images, or both, readable on the flat-panel display of computers or other electronic devices. Alt ...

* Digital

magazines A magazine is a periodical publication, generally published on a regular schedule (often weekly or monthly), containing a variety of content. They are generally financed by advertising, purchase price, prepaid subscriptions, or by a combination ...

Library board

The library has two library boards, a controlling board and an advisory board. The controlling board is the Peter White Public Library Board of Trustees. Board members are appointed by the Marquette City Commission. The Township Advisory Council is composed of members appointed by the townships contracting services with the library. Each township has two members.

History

Public library service in

, began in 1871 when the library was located in City Hall. The Peter White Public Library was formally founded by Local Act 254 of 1891 by the Michigan Legislature. The historic building at the corner of Front and Ridge Streets was completed in 1904. The building was designed by Patton and Miller Architects of

Chicago, Illinois (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

. A renovation and expansion project designed by Frye Gillan Molinaro Architects, also of Chicago, was completed in October 2000. Gundlach Champion was the contractor. This $9.0 million project was funded by a $4.5 million city bond issue and $4.5 million capital campaign. The current facility is . The original building and subsequent renovations have been made possible not only through the generosity of the library namesake, but many other benefactors, and the taxpayers who support the Library. In 2007 the library received a

Library of Michigan The Library of Michigan is a state-run library and historical center located in Lansing, Michigan that was created to provide one perpetual state institution to collect and preserve Michigan publications, conduct reference and research, and suppo ...

Foundation Citation of Excellence from State Librarian Nancy Robertson. The award recognized the library for providing excellent service and meeting the needs of the community in a friendly, cost-effective, and innovative way. In December 2010 the library received a National Medal from the

Institute of Museum and Library Services The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is an independent agency of the United States federal government established in 1996. It is the main source of federal support for libraries and museums within the United States, having the ...

(IMLS). The Medal is awarded to ten libraries or museums in the United States each year. During 2018-2019 the library carried out a $4.2 million renovation project, funded by a bond approved by the citizens of the City of Marquette in August 2017. The project architects and engineers were Integrated Designs of

, and the general contractor was Closner Construction of

. Work included historical preservation of the original facade and stonework, reworking of the children's room, extensive HVAC modification and retrofitting, lighting improvements, carpeting, additional study rooms, added technology, and a number of other repairs and improvements.

Affiliations and memberships

* Michigan Library Association * Midwest Collaborative for Library Services * Superiorland Library Cooperative * Upper Peninsula Region of Cooperation * Great Lakes Digital Libraries * Michigan Center for the Book * MelCat statewide borrowing program * Downtown Marquette Association * Lake Superior Community PartnershipLake Superior Community Partnership. Web. 07 Nov. 2016. .

Notes

External links

Official website
{{authority control Library buildings completed in 1904 Public libraries in Michigan Education in Marquette County, Michigan Buildings and structures in Marquette County, Michigan