The Main Branch is the central location of the Detroit Public Library System in Detroit, Michigan. It is found in the Midtown neighborhood of Detroit, between Woodward Avenue and Cass Avenue.

The Main Branch was designed by Cass Gilbert and built using Vermont marble and serpentine marble trim from Italy, following the Italian Renaissance-style architecture. His son, Cass Gilbert Jr., worked with Francis Keally to design the library's added wings, which were completed in 1963. Cass Gilbert also designed other important buildings, including the United States Supreme Court Building in Washington, D.C., the Minnesota State Capitol, and the Woolworth Building in New York City.

History

In 1901, the Library Commission held a meeting to plan a new Main Library building. At that time, the Centre Park Library on Gratiot and Library streets in the downtown area was the main branch. Andrew Carnegie offered $750,000 for the new main branch, and the city proposed a ballot question asking voters to approve $500,000 in library bonds to meet Carnegie's offer. However, voters said no to Carnegie's gift in 1907 but approved a $750,000 bond issue instead. In 1910, the Common Council accepted Carnegie's offer. In 1912, land near Woodward and Kirby streets was bought, and in 1913, Cass Gilbert was chosen as the architect. The design included a three-story, early Italian Renaissance-style building covering 180,000 square feet. Due to delays and World War I, the Main Library opened on March 21, 1921, and was dedicated on June 3, 1921.

Plans for additions to the building began as early as 1926. In 1944, Cass Gilbert Jr. and Francis Keally were selected as architects for an addition that would add wings to the north and south sides of the building. Construction on the wings started in 1957 after the Common Council approved the first library bond issue to fund the project. The north and south wings opened on June 23, 1963, adding 240,000 square feet to the building. The wings were connected to the back of the original building, and a new entrance was created on Cass Avenue. Above this entrance is a mosaic by Millard Sheets titled The River of Knowledge. As part of the addition, a triptych mural was added to the west wall of Adam Strohm Hall on the third floor. The mural, created by local artist John Stephens Coppin, is titled Man's Mobility and shows a history of transportation. This mural complements a triptych mural on the opposite wall, completed in 1921 by Gari Melchers, which depicts Detroit's early history.

The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983 as a contributing property to the Cultural Center Historic District.

Departments

The Children's Library and H.Y.P.E. Teen Center are located in separate rooms at the Main Branch. The H.Y.P.E. Teen Center is in the original 1921 Children's Room, while the Children's Library is in the Children's Room, which was added during the 1963 renovation. The H.Y.P.E. Teen Center still includes original features from the 1921 Children's Room, such as an authentic Pewabic Fireplace. This fireplace, designed by Mary Chase Perry Stratton and Horace James Caulkins, includes artwork depicting fairy tales and children's stories. The frieze shows "The Owl and the Birds" from Aesop's Fables, and the tiles feature scenes from stories like "Pocahontas and John Smith," "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland," "Ulysses from The Odyssey," "Tar Baby and B'rer Rabbit," "Hansel and Gretel," "The Tin Soldier," "Titania and Bottom from A Midsummer Night's Dream," "Aladdin," "Mowgli and the Bear from The Jungle Book," and "Robinson Crusoe." A pictorial map of Michigan, created by Frederick J. Wiley, is displayed above the fireplace.

The current Children's Room includes a series of mosaics designed by Gail Rosenbloom Kaplan and Dani Katsir. These mosaics, created between 2015 and 2017, include works titled "Read," "Healthy Living," "Under the Sea," "Music," "Sports," "Transportation," and "Earth." The room also has a display featuring the American Girl Doll Melody Ellison, who is portrayed as a Detroit native in her book series.

The Burton Historical Collection, E. Azalia Hackley Collection, Ernie Harwell Sports Collection, and Rare Book Collection are all located at the Main Library. The public can view items from these collections in the Burton Reading Room by request. Some materials are also available online.

The Burton Historical Collection began as the private collection of Clarence Monroe Burton. Initially, it was stored in his home on Brainard Street, where he allowed scholars to use his library. After moving to a new home, Burton donated his collection and the deed to his Brainard Street house to the Detroit Public Library. The collection opened to the public in 1916 and was moved to the Main Library in 1921. The Burton Reading Room on the fourth floor was named after Clarence Burton. A new Burton Reading Room was built on the first floor during the 1960s and is still used today. Burton originally intended the collection to focus on Detroit's history, but it later expanded to include materials about the Old Northwest, Canada, and New France. Today, the collection includes books, manuscripts, maps, newspapers, photographs, family histories, church records, military records, obituaries, and land records. New materials related to Detroit's history are still added.

The E. Azalia Hackley Collection of African Americans in the Performing Arts was established in 1943 when the Detroit Musicians Association donated materials to the Detroit Public Library. It is named after Emma Azalia Hackley, a notable African-American musician. The collection includes books, manuscripts, sheet music, biographical files, and photographs. A portion of the collection is displayed in the Reading Room of the E. Azalia Hackley Collection, which was previously called the Book Lover's Room. This room is located next to Adam Strohm Hall. The collection accepts donations related to the history of African-Americans in music.

The Ernie Harwell Sports Collection was started in 1966 when sportscaster Ernie Harwell donated items to the library. The collection mainly focuses on American baseball and the Detroit Tigers, though it also includes materials about other sports. Items in the collection include books, photographs, media guides, programs, and manuscripts. Some materials are displayed in the Lulu and Ernie Harwell Room, which is only open by appointment. The room contains seats from Tiger Stadium at Michigan and Trumbull, as well as a mock broadcast booth. The library accepts donations related to sports history, with a special focus on baseball, Ernie Harwell, or the Detroit Tigers.

The Rare Book Collection, which began in 1948, preserves rare materials such as first editions, fine bindings, illuminated manuscripts, letters, and incunabula. Most of the collection is stored in the Rare Book Room on the second floor. The room's entrance has black ebony doors engraved with the names of notable craftsmen in printing history. The doors are flanked by polished bronze grilles with a fleur-de-lis design, inspired by 16th-century bookbinding and the work of Jean Grolier. This feature was designed by architect Francis Keally. The library continues to accept donations for this collection.