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49 °F Forecast | Road Cams Tuesday, April 20, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find a Rental Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Email Story to a Friend April 5, 2004 Maya Patridge, 4, Lydia Bastian, 3, and Samantha Hyde, 3, participate in the book brigade that moved 92 books from the old Carnegie Library to the new Jackson County Central Library as part of the new library�s grand opening Sunday. Mail Tribune / Andrew Mariman Book brigade A crowd passing 92 volumes hand to hand from the old Carnegie Library to the new Jackson County Central Library helps introduce the new building to the public By SARAH LEMON Mail Tribune Medford residents passed books down Main and Central streets Sunday and saw their library pass into the 21st century. About 800 reading enthusiasts of all ages participated in a book brigade that ushered 92 books from the Carnegie Library building to the new Jackson County Central Library. Hundreds more toured the library in its first day serving the public. "Where’s life without the library?" asked Medford resident Gwendolyn Scott who reluctantly relinquished favorite tomes like "Little Bear’s Friend" to the next person in line. "The reason it’s all so slow is people are reading the books as they go by," Scott said. Marking each year of the old library’s service since its dedication in 1912, the chain began with "Applegate Trail to Oregon" and concluded with "As it Was," a history of Southern Oregon. In between the two, volunteers had a few seconds with their beloved books. Advertisement Beaming from under a familiar red and white-striped hat, former librarian and Rogue Valley Manor resident Nancy Olsen clutched "And to Think that I Saw It on Mulberry Street" and reminded other brigadiers of the 100th anniversary this year of Dr. Seuss’ birth. Farther down the line, 13-year-old Ben Vanderhoof handed off a volume in the "Clifford" series to his mother, Conni Grey, who predicted the family will no longer buy as many books since moving to the Rogue Valley. The public library in their old home of Quincy, Calif., wasn’t even as big as Medford’s old library, she said. "We’re new to the community, so this is a nice introduction." Lauded as the finest library in Oregon by State Librarian Jim Scheppke, the 83,191-square-foot structure of glass, stone and brick is five times larger than the Carnegie Library. It has more than enough room to house all of the library’s 200,000 books and other materials under one roof. Patrons young and old alike eagerly crowded the library entrances Sunday afternoon for a first peek at the light-filled reading rooms, expansive halls, towering staircase and rich wood, stone and bronze furnishings. "This is a once-in-a-generation milestone," Scott Rayburn, chairman of the Jackson County Library Advisory Committee, told the masses assembled for the library’s ribbon-cutting. Once inside, patrons exclaimed over the library’s tall windows, the expert organization and sheer size while taking photos and making video recordings. Children frolicked among their library’s friendly monsters, gnomes, frogs and mice before rushing off to a puppet theater presentation of "Coyote Tales." Upstairs in the teen library Chantell and Cheyeanne Munoz pounced on Britney Spears CDs and hip-hop dance videos while planning a search for J.R.R Tolkien’s "Lord of the Rings" series. In the periodicals section adults sat in on readings by authors Bill Ashworth, Primus St. John, Diana Coogle, Lawson Inada, Robert Tinsley and others. As visitors flooded the lobby, librarians encouraged them to write their names in the guest book — to begin writing library’s history. Book checkout and Internet services begin today. The Central Library, at 205 S. Central Avenue, will be open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday, noon to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday. For more, see www.jcls.org . Reach reporter Sarah Lemon at 776-4487, or e-mail [email protected] . Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. 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