Atlanta Library works to welcome tourists

 

[August 20, 2019]   The Atlanta Public Library and Museum are working on a number of projects designed to enhance the services they offer to local residents and, in the process, welcome tourists to the community.

These projects use the Library’s original 1908 building, the Union Hall Building, and the Downey Building, which – together - provide a cultural anchor in downtown Atlanta where programs for local residents can be offered and where visitors can be welcomed and provided with information about Atlanta and Logan County. Atlanta attracts thousands of national and international visitors each year, which led the Library to recently join efforts with the Logan County Tourism Bureau and the communities of Elkhart and Mt. Pulaski, to create a network of Visitor Welcome Centers in each city designed to promote tourism through the County.

Over the past two months, the Library and Museum have transformed the Union Hall Building’s first floor entry space into a Visitors Welcome Center. More work is scheduled as the Library prepares to restore the Union Hall building’s façade. The work will repair decorative panels and deteriorating wood trim around the building’s large, arched windows.

The city of Atlanta supported this project by awarding the Library a grant through the city’s Façade Improvement Program. As a designated Local Landmark, the façade restoration work done on the Union Hall Building will follow historic landmark guidelines to ensure the historic character of the building is maintained.

The Atlanta Public Library District is a service-driven community resource for learning, creativity, and engagement. Its mission is to improve the quality of life of residents and visitors by expanding their horizons, meeting their learning needs, and enhancing their interests in meaningful and entertaining ways. In addition to the basic library services provided, the District offers over 50 programs (mostly free) to adults and children that attract nearly 600 people annually. In 2018, the District was selected as one of seven organizations in the state to host an Illinois Turns 200 live podcast and was also chosen by the Smithsonian Institution as one of six sites in Illinois to host its new traveling exhibition entitled Crossroads: Change in Rural America.

For more information about the Library’s gutter restoration project or the Atlanta Library in general contact Cathy Maciariello, Atlanta Library Director or Rachel Neisler, Atlanta Museum Director at 217-648-2112.

[Bill Thomas]