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Illinois State Library |
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About the Illinois State Library |
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Gwendolyn Brooks Building The Illinois State Library was created more than 150 years ago to serve the needs of state government. As the official library for state government, it has come a long way since 1839 when the young Secretary of State, Stephen A. Douglas, saw to it that space was reserved next to his new office for a small, fledgling library. Today, the Illinois State Library has become a computer-age doorway to worldwide information, providing patrons with an electronic bridge to the collections of universities, public and corporate libraries, and new information systems that will continue to develop into the 21st century and beyond. Permanent Art Collection Within the Illinois State Library Inside the Illinois State Library is a permanent collection of 33 works of visual art (painting, prints, drawing and photography) by contemporary Illinois artists. All of the pieces are part of a unifying concept--"Portrait of Illinois". The works were selected through a combination of limited invitations and open competitions. The competitions were held prior to the library's opening in 1990. More than 1,700 works of art were submitted and pared down to the 33 works permanently on display. (View powerpoint) The Illinois State Library Building The Illinois State Library was designed by the Chicago architectural firm of Graham, Anderson, Probst and White to harmonize with the other buildings in Springfield's Capitol Complex. The exterior features Indiana limestone set over a base of granite highlighted by a frieze etched with the names of 35 of Illinois' most distinguished authors. These 35 authors were either born in Illinois or spent a significant portion of their careers in Illinois. |
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Important Dates June 20, 1990 - Illinois State Library is dedicated |
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