Noel Wien Public Library
Encyclopedia
The Noel Wien Public Library, operated by the Fairbanks North Star Borough, is located in Fairbanks, Alaska
. It has a branch library in North Pole, Alaska
. Its current director is Greg Hill, who also writes a regular column for the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner
. The library has more than 100,000 titles in its collections. It is the second-largest library in the Fairbanks area after the Elmer E. Rasmuson Library
at the University of Alaska Fairbanks
.
and its main branch stands on the site of Weeks Field
, Fairbanks' original airport. The original public library in Fairbanks was the George C. Thomas Memorial Library, which was constructed in 1909 to replace the reading room in St. Matthew's Episcopal Mission. Funding for the 1909 structure was given a boost by George C. Thomas of Philadelphia, who also donated $1,000 a year for three years to buy books. In 1942, St. Matthew's deeded the lot, building, and collections to the city of Fairbanks. In 1949 a fire destroyed one-third of the collections, but through subsequent donations the library grew to more than 4,000 volumes. In 1967 the library again lost many of its books due to the flooding of the Chena River that August. The next year, 1968, ownership of the library was transferred to the borough, and the collection swelled to 20,000 items. In 1974, a library construction bond passed, providing $4.2 million for construction of a new building. In 1977, the new Noel Wien Library opened its doors to the public.
The tiles are made in a variety of realistic sizes and colors and can be and memorialized for $100 each, with all proceeds dedicated to benefiting the library. A noted local ceramic artist, Nancy Hausle-Johnson, makes the tiles to look like real books as viewed from the spine. The oak shelves holding the tiles are made to resemble the library's wooden shelves and are located just inside the library’s main entrance and generate a great deal of positive comments from visitors.
This tile wall was the inspiration for a similar project at the Cherry Hill (New Jersey) Public Library
after a June 2003 visit by longtime board member Kathleen Schwartz to the Wien Library.
Fairbanks, Alaska
Fairbanks is a home rule city in and the borough seat of the Fairbanks North Star Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska.Fairbanks is the largest city in the Interior region of Alaska, and second largest in the state behind Anchorage...
. It has a branch library in North Pole, Alaska
North Pole, Alaska
North Pole is a small city in the Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska, United States. It is part of the Fairbanks, Alaska metropolitan statistical area. The U.S. Census Bureau estimated its population as of July 1, 2009 at 2,226. The name "North Pole" is often applied to the entire area covered...
. Its current director is Greg Hill, who also writes a regular column for the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner
Fairbanks Daily News-Miner
The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner is a morning daily newspaper that serves the city of Fairbanks, Alaska, the Fairbanks North Star Borough, the Denali Borough, and the Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area in the United States state of Alaska. It is the farthest north daily newspaper in the United States, and...
. The library has more than 100,000 titles in its collections. It is the second-largest library in the Fairbanks area after the Elmer E. Rasmuson Library
Elmer E. Rasmuson Library
The Elmer E. Rasmuson Library is the largest library in the U.S. state of Alaska, housing just under a million volumes. It is located on the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus. It is named in honor of Elmer E...
at the University of Alaska Fairbanks
University of Alaska Fairbanks
The University of Alaska Fairbanks, located in Fairbanks, Alaska, USA, is the flagship campus of the University of Alaska System, and is abbreviated as Alaska or UAF....
.
History
The library was named after Alaskan aviator Noel WienNoel Wien
Noel Wien was an American pioneer aviator. He was the founder of Wien Air Alaska, Alaska's first airline.-Biography:...
and its main branch stands on the site of Weeks Field
Weeks Field
Weeks Field was the first airport for the city of Fairbanks, Alaska. It was built in 1923 on the site of a baseball field named Weeks Ball Park, which had served as an impromptu landing strip for airplanes prior to the construction of the airport. On July 4, 1923, Carl Ben Eielson flew the first...
, Fairbanks' original airport. The original public library in Fairbanks was the George C. Thomas Memorial Library, which was constructed in 1909 to replace the reading room in St. Matthew's Episcopal Mission. Funding for the 1909 structure was given a boost by George C. Thomas of Philadelphia, who also donated $1,000 a year for three years to buy books. In 1942, St. Matthew's deeded the lot, building, and collections to the city of Fairbanks. In 1949 a fire destroyed one-third of the collections, but through subsequent donations the library grew to more than 4,000 volumes. In 1967 the library again lost many of its books due to the flooding of the Chena River that August. The next year, 1968, ownership of the library was transferred to the borough, and the collection swelled to 20,000 items. In 1974, a library construction bond passed, providing $4.2 million for construction of a new building. In 1977, the new Noel Wien Library opened its doors to the public.
Book Tile Project
Since 1998 ceramic tiles made to look like book spines have decorated the main entry to Noel Wien Library. Sales of the tiles has raised $80,000 for library furnishings, equipment and artwork, and the project was the brainchild of the Library Support Group, Inc., a nonprofit organization dedicated to furnishing and improving the local public libraries. The Support Group merged with the Fairbanks Library Foundation in 2006, and the foundation now oversees the Book Tile project.The tiles are made in a variety of realistic sizes and colors and can be and memorialized for $100 each, with all proceeds dedicated to benefiting the library. A noted local ceramic artist, Nancy Hausle-Johnson, makes the tiles to look like real books as viewed from the spine. The oak shelves holding the tiles are made to resemble the library's wooden shelves and are located just inside the library’s main entrance and generate a great deal of positive comments from visitors.
This tile wall was the inspiration for a similar project at the Cherry Hill (New Jersey) Public Library
Cherry Hill Public Library
The Cherry Hill Public Library in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, United States is an agency of the Township's municipal government. Originally called The Cherry Hill Free Public Library, the word "Free" was dropped from the title in 2003. The current library building was completed in December 2004 to...
after a June 2003 visit by longtime board member Kathleen Schwartz to the Wien Library.