Libraries have existed since approximately 2600 B.C. as an archive of recorded knowledge. From tablets and scrolls to bound books, they’ve cataloged our stories, our histories, and served as a locus of knowledge.
Today, with the digitization of content and the ever-present Internet, information is no longer confined to printed materials accessible only in a single, physical location. And so, libraries are reinventing themselves as content becomes more accessible online and their role becomes less about housing tomes and more about connecting learners and constructing knowledge.
Book it to the Library.
At the Frisco Public Library, it’s time for a new, dynamic chapter. In 2019, Frisco voters approved a $62 million bond toward the relocation of the library for a more suitable space. The current space, where 2.7 million materials get checked out and returned each year, is bursting at the seams, according to Library staff, and is often packed with foot traffic.
Following years of preparation, construction will begin this spring 2021 to move the facility from the George A. Purefoy Municipal Center (otherwise known as Frisco City Hall) to the former rocket factory, the Beal Building, at 8000 Dallas Parkway.
The building is located south of Cotton Gin Road, next door to the Frisco Discovery Center.
Developers said the roughly 22-month construction plan should begin in late March to early April. The 158,000-square-foot, two-floor space, which is more than triple the size of the current library, is expected to reach completion in late 2022.
The best part is yet to come.
The new library is designed to be flexible while offering open, transparent, and unexpected spaces that invite visitors to communicate and collaborate together. Our new library will encourage participatory learning for toddlers, teens, and adults in shared spaces like creativity classrooms, social stairs, great reading rooms, and the toddler book area.
We were very deliberate in our planning to meet Frisco resident needs and to create a building so flexible that it will be valued by the community for years to come,” says Library Director Shelley Holley. “Due to the flexibility of the design residents can get a book, take a cooking class, enjoy live music… the possibilities are endless.”
Rooms to get lit in…
The Great Reading Room is designed with a nod to traditional library reading rooms, featuring a contemplative quiet area, floor to ceiling views, and furniture that invites readers to settle in.
“The Pond” is a special area for toddlers and babies. Themed after a prairie pond, the engaging area features lily pad seats, fish swimming from the ceiling, and lighting reminiscent of underwater air bubbles.
The “Social Stair” offers a perch to “people-watch,” gather in small groups or enjoy live performances.
Talk wordy to me.
Founded in 1991, the Frisco Public Library began with donated books in a small donated storefront on Main street. By 1992, the City of Frisco acquired the Frisco Municipal Complex where the Library, municipal court, and police offices found a new home.
In 2006, the library moved into the George A. Purefoy Municipal Center where it now resides. In 2019, citizens approved a bond to convert a former rocket factory into 21st Century. The Library’s mission is to enrich lives by inspiring intellect, curiosity, and imagination.
Principals involved in the library move project include: City of Frisco, Frisco Public Library, HLM Construction Management, Gensler, 720 Design, and Byrne Construction Services.
Leaders are readers and they love our Library.
When every citizen has the potential to carry a global library on the device in his or her pocket, the role of physical libraries may become even more important — not just a place to house resources, but one in which to create community and meaning from them.
Our new Frisco Public Library will be a 21st century space that provides a welcoming common location and encourages exploration, creation, and collaboration between children and adults and across our entire city. Because what building has the most stories? The library.
