The Brookline Branch of the Carnegie Library
Grand Re-Opening - 2004

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 Library.

This is the "new" Brookline Library in 2004, a couple months after it's renovation. Below are photos from the Grand Re-opening of our state of the art Carnegie Library on February 7, 2004. It was a grand day for the community of Brookline, and the culmination of efforts begun back in the late 1990s.

The privately owned building was in need of repair. More alarmingly was the possibility of the property being put up for sale. Sensing that this valuable community asset might disappear from Brookline Boulevard, the property was purchased in 2001 by the Brookline Community Council. The funds were made available through state grant money obtained by State Representative Frank Gigliotti, and then his successor State Representative Michael Diven.

The site was turned over to the city with the promise that it would be remodeled, and most importantly, that the library would remain at this location for years to come. The city and the Carnegie Library made good on their promise to remodel, spending $2.9 million on renovations. The Brookline Branch is now one of the finest neighborhood libraries in the city of Pittsburgh. The new library director is Pat Lorenzo.

The Brookline Library was chosen to be renovated using environmentally friendly (green) principles. The library has many features built into the new framework that are both environmentally sound and safe. The results were quite extraordinary.

<Learn More About Brookline's "Green" Library>

<Renovation Photos>

* Photos provided by Walt Kimball *

The Grand Re-Opening took
 place on February 7, 2004, and featured such speakers as Carnegie Library of
 Pittsburgh Director Herb Elish, State Representative Michael Diven and City
 Councilman Jim Motznik. Here, Marlene Curran of the Brookline Community Council
 and Director Elish cut the ribbon to formally open the new library.

Children's staff Sonya
 Tarker and Lisa Dennis love the new children's area!

Can you believe over 1,800
 people came in that day?? Here they're listening to the speeches, and you can see
 the Channel 4 camera near the front.

Holly and Herb Elish before the
 ribbon cutting ceremony.

Brookline's Peg, Judy, Holly
 McCullough (Branch Manager), and Ginny try out the podium before the grand
 opening.

The Brookline staff gets
 ready for the ribbon cutting ceremony: Peg Murhammer, Ginny Imburgia, Walt Kimball,
 and Judy Dinardo.

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