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INTRODUCTION
An urban city relies on many different factors in order to remain sustainable and properly
functioning. One of the most important of these factors is that the community is properly
educated. Schooling systems and public education facilities provide the opportunities for
residents to receive the education they need to be successful. The Detroit Public Library is the
biggest library system in the state of Michigan, and has recently celebrated its 150th year of being
open to the public (Williamson 60). Despite is eminent size and permanence, the library is still
being greatly affected by the economic downturn, and this is in turn affecting the education
levels of the community of Detroit.
CONSTRUCTION
The main branch of the Detroit Public Library was opened on March 21st, 1921, forty-nine
years after the original main branch was built in Centre Park. The property, near Woodward and
Kirby, was purchased and designed by Cass Gilbert (Williamson 60). In 1861 the State of
Michigan emphasized the importance of libraries in its constitutional statement: the legislature
shall provide for libraries (Detroit Public Library web). The availability of funds soon prompted
Detroit to expand its library system. Four years later, the first branch of the Detroit Public
Library was opened in Capitol High School (Williamson, 60).
During the time of the librarys construction, the population of Detroit was rapidly
expanding (Sharoff, Zbaren 18). More branches were being added due to the population increase
and also because of the number of books the library had was becoming too big for the branches
already established (40). By 1963, the main branch was forced to expand to create more space
for the demand, and opened up two more wings, nearly doubling the size of the building (41).

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CREATING AN URBAN CENTER

The Detroit skyline was rapidly changing and becoming an architectural and cultural hub
during the time of the construction of the Public Library. The Renobscot Building, the Union
Trust Building, and the Book-Cadillac hotel were all adding to the landscape of downtown
Detroit. Further up Woodward the Detroit Public Library was built and was soon neighbored by
the Detroit Institute of Arts. The upper-class of Detroit was funding a lot of expenditures for its
citys landscape to help create a more self-aware city. They wanted to rival the urban center of
Chicago by creating a metropolitan center of its own (Martelle 98).
ARCHITECTURE
Cass Gilbert designed the Detroit Public Library to be a three story, Italian Renaissance
style building (Williamson 60). Made of white marble, it was called the most beautiful building
in Detroit. When Gilbert was designing the building he placed Greek and Roman motifs all
around the building. These were centered on books, knowledge and wisdom, which were
designed to encourage people to learn. He also created an atmosphere for people to want to stay
and learn, as displayed by the large open spaces and windows that optimize the amount of light
let in (Kuras 1). Many pieces of art have been donated to the library over the years, creating not
only a place to serve the public, but also a public treasure.
LOCATION
Further down Woodward, in the location of the Detroit Public Librarys main branch, was
considered the cultural center of the city. Neighboring the building is the Detroit Institute of
Arts, another well-known cultural building (Sharoff, Zbaren 112). The library is centered in an
economic middle class location, making it easily accessible for all people from all financial

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standings. The combination of these two buildings helped create the proper environment for the
demand the library had.
PERSONAL EXPERIENCE
I had previously visited the Detroit Public Library, but never taken too close of a tour of
it. On this trip, I toured the entire building and made much closer observations of the
architecture and atmosphere the library provides. While the sheer volume of books and materials
is immense, there are systems and people to help find the books you are looking for. The
subjects of the books are clearly labeled and the rooms are dedicated to different subject areas.
Spaces are also designated for sitting and working. These areas are very comfortable and
welcoming to do work in because of how well-lit and open they are. A final aspect of the
building I noticed is how all the architecture of the library resonates the subject of education.
BRANCH CLOSURES
The Detroit Public Library was a very popular public asset at the peak of its expansion.
The library expanded very rapidly to having twenty-one different branches (Williamson 61).
Despite its previous popularity, the demand and funding of the Detroit Public Library has been
decreasing over the past years. The library is funded by property tax millage approved by Detroit
residents. Over the past three years, the revenues have been decreasing on average twelve
percent each year and are forecasted to continue to drop. Effective of December 22, 2011 four
branches of the library were closed due to lack of funding. It is the most difficult decision to
close libraries especially during difficult economic times when people need the libraries the
most (The Detroit Public Library Commission Approves the Closure of Four Branch Locations
in the City of Detroit, web).

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IMPACT OF LIBRARIES ON THEIR COMMUNITY

Libraries make a very positive and important impact on the communities in which they
are located. Findings of the 2008 State of Americas Libraries claim that libraries play a key role
in the development and educational growth of society (Public Library Use, web). They are
engines of economic growth. Having the resources available in public libraries, both the
computerized the physical copies of the literature, allows citizens of all economic standings to
receive the information they need.
WARM UP TO READING
On June 14th, 2003 a learning program to promote reading was launched in Detroit. The
program is called Warm up to Reading and is a collaborative effort between the Detroit Public
Schools and the Detroit Public Library (Burnley 1). This program was directed to school-aged
children and designed to encourage them to read more over summer break. The students are a
part of book clubs where they talk about the books they have read and can win prizes for
reading (2). The program helps get children involved and motivates them to read more. Warm up
to Reading helps form teamwork abilities and enhances the reading and writing abilities of
Detroit youth.
ILLITERACY IN DETROIT
A report from the Detroit Regional Workforce found that nearly half of the adults in
Detroit, 200,000 in total, are functionally illiterate. This means that they have trouble with
reading, speaking, writing and computational skills (Smith, web). These adults make up the
socio-economic base of the city and are educating the youths of the community. These

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functionally illiterate persons lack the proper educational tools and opportunities to help
improve the educational levels of Detroit youth.
EFFECT OF THE DETROIT PUBLIC LIBRARY ON DETROIT
As the number of libraries available in Detroit decreases, it leaves the community with
fewer opportunities to get the educational resources it needs. The impact of public library
systems on society is evident and very important. They help improve the literacy and education
levels of the residents and provide a central location for research. The illiteracy of adults in
Detroit is reaching a staggering high. Illiteracy could be positively impacted through the
educational opportunities provided by public libraries and the educational resources that they
contain.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, the Detroit Public Library plays an evident and crucial role in the
education levels of the community of Detroit. Despite the obvious necessity of the system, the
library is losing funding, and therefore losing branches. People are losing the vast opportunities
to receive the educational resources that are vital in creating a literate and educated community.
In order for Detroit to improve its education levels, the society must place more emphasis on the
importance of the public library system.

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Work Cited
"About Us | Detroit Public Library." Detroit Public Library. Web. 22 Nov. 2015.

Burnley, Kenneth. "Detroit Public Schools and Detroit Public Library Start Reading
Campaign." Michigan ChronicleJun 11 2003.ProQuest. Web. 22 Nov. 2015.

Kuras, Amy. "7 Wonders of Detroit Public Library's Main Branch." Model D. 23 June 2015.
Web. 22 Nov. 2015.

Martelle, Scott. Detroit : A Biography. Chicago, IL, USA: Chicago Review Press, 2014. Print .
22 November 2015.

"Public Library Use." American Library Association. 1 Oct. 2015. Web. 22 Nov. 2015.

Sharoff, Robert, and William Zbaren. American City: Detroit Architecture, 1845-2005. Detroit,
MI: Wayne State University Press, 2005. Print.

Smith, Denise. "Addressing Detroit's Illiteracy Issue." Urban Innovation Exchange. 10 Nov.
2014. Web. 22 Nov. 2015.

"The Detroit Public Library Commission Approves the Closure of Four Branch Locations in the
City of Detroit." Michigan Citizen: 1. Nov 2011. ProQuest. Web. 22 Nov. 2015.

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Williamson, W. L. ": Parnassus on Main Street: A History of the Detroit Public Library." LIBR
QUART The Library Quarterly (1965): 60-61. Print.