After exploring the reopened library, attendees quickly made themselves at home in the community space.
Photo courtesy of Makenna Wozniak | The Crow’s Nest
By Alisha Durosier, Julia Ferrara and Julia Birdsall
It was a cloudy day filled with the melodic ambiance of the Gibbs High School Jazz Band. Spirits could not have been higher on the morning of Sept. 27. The President Barack Obama Main Library opened its doors to the public for the first time in four years.
“When we closed these doors for renovations, we made a promise to our residents that we would create something special, something worthy of President Barack Obama’s name and the value it represents,” St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch said in a speech that precluded the ribbon-cutting.
The library closed for renovations in 2021. Construction was set to be completed between 2022 and 2023 but was paused several times on account of asbestos and funding issues.
With a crowd of about 400 surrounding the building, community members and city officials were happy to see the library reopen. They reflected on its past by sharing stories of their own childhood experiences in the library, previously named Central Library.
“Together we get to come back to this community institution, and for so many of us, this library is more than a building,” said St. Petersburg High School sophomore Chloe Jackson in her speech. “It’s where we got our first library card, checked out our favorite books, and built memories that connect us to this community.”
Photo courtesy of Makenna Wozniak.
Junior political science and sustainability studies major and University of South Florida St. Petersburg Student Government Governor Elise Prophete attended the ribbon-cutting as a city volunteer.
“I decided to come out today because I love libraries, I love learning and I love the city of St. Pete,” Prophete told The Crow’s Nest after applying for and receiving her library card.
“Back in 1963, obviously, the Civil Rights Movement was happening, and now we have a library named after our first Black president,” Prophete said. “I just feel like it’s very full circle.”
The library was originally opened in 1964 and was renamed to honor the former president in 2018.
Returning to the Library is its catalog of 80,000 books. New renovations also include 72 new computers, private study and conference rooms, a makerspace, a small auditorium, and infrastructure that complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
“As we cut this ribbon, we affirm that education will always be a foundational principle of progress in St. Petersburg,” Welch said. “Welcome back to your library. We are St. Pete, and yes, we can.”
