Kennedy Library - Boston

      A quiet reverence fills the air as you approach this magnificent structure.  The architect, I. M. Pei, captured in concrete and steel the essence of the Kennedy spirit and the somberness Americans felt when they heard he had died.  
     If you take a few minutes to go to the John F Kennedy Library site on the internet you can read detailed information on the lengthy struggle required to design and construct this wonderful library and museum. It took longer to build this library than it did for us to put a man on the moon. 
     There is a wonderful picture in Wikipedia that shows the building at dusk with the huge flag that hangs in the glassed area clearly visible.
     But before we start our tour a word of warning.  Don't even think of driving in Boston.  It looks like the roads were laid out along meandering cow paths. You can go in circles in this town. Not only is driving very difficult, but parking will cost you more than you can imagine. (Think in terms of $25 a day or more.)  
     But the public transit ("T") is fantastic. When I was there an all day pass was $14, which allowed unlimited use of the "T" (subway), city buses, and the many water taxis. Taking a train from a surrounding town 45 minutes away was also unbelievably inexpensive. Round trip was $11 (senior rate). 
      So just take the subway to the JFK station about 5 miles south of downtown Boston. A bus will pick you up and take you to the door of the museum. Connections are easy, quick and I think the best way to go. 

  To the left is one of the friendly and very helpful bus drivers that shuttle people back and forth between the library and the subway station.     

     The bus drops you at the main entrance to the library. 

The complex metalwork   to the left is the structure that holds the glass panels. And yes there is glass in the picture... very clean glass!  Part of Boston is in the background across the bay. 

Looking up in the huge glass enclosed entrance you cannot help but see this wonderful flag.  The pictures do not convey the immensity of the glass entrance, nor the size of this wonderful flag. 

My wife is the tiny figure at the bottom of the photo to the left. I have no idea how they wash all this glass!

As I stood looking up in the entrance way I realized there were workmen walking around on the glass ceiling. The odd looking blob in the center of the photo is one of the workmen and I had to use my telephoto to get this shot. 


The layout of the museum is chronological and designed like many are today. You follow a meandering hallway around the building seeing the various displays. As I mentioned in my blog on the Clinton Library this one was not so much about how great Kennedy was but more about the national events while he was in charge and how he responded to them and inspired our nation to greatness.
    
Here is some technology history. The original set used for the nations first televised presidential debate. The black and white TV and "old" looking controls help us realize the changes in our country in the last 50 years. 

This map shows the (blue) states that Kennedy won. He was elected president with 303 electoral votes to Nixon's 219. The popular vote was much closer at about 34 million each. with Kennedy getting only about 100,000 more than Nixon or about 1/10 of one percent. 

This photo of the original 7 Gemini astronauts reminds us of Kennedy's leadership in our space program. His bold 1961 challenge to put a man on the moon by the end of the decade required our nations best minds to answer his call.  Kennedy did not live to see men walking on the moon.   

The space exhibit reminds us of how far technology and space travel have advanced from a simple beginning. It also made me realize how much these early pioneers did with such limited tools and how quickly the problems of putting a man on the moon were solved. Many products we now take for granted were born of the necessity of the NASA program.  WD-40, the simple hand held calculator, battery operated tools, smoke detectors, small battery powered vacuum cleaners, etc etc. 

      The library and museum show Kennedy's impact on the world as well as on space. 

The commemorative stone above reflects England's feelings. They donated an Acre of English ground to the United States in memory of J.F.K.  The Library contains many similar photos showing how nations honored the memory of JFK. 

One of several photos the library has displayed shows the John F. Kennedy Museum in the Solomon Islands. 

The dining room was a pleasant spot to eat in the Kennedy Library. Not only was the food good, but the view was wonderful. This is where I learned that my Midwestern accent did not properly pronounce "clam chowder". I had to repeat my order twice before the waitress smiled and said "Oh Clam Chaddah". Even in this commercial setting the Chaddah was very good.    

Here Linda enjoys the view and a chance to eat lunch.























The Dining area was pleasant with the large windows.

























Down town Boston from the dining room

Here is Kennedy's desk. 
 (John or Robert's ..can't remember which)












There was a very nice display of  the "Cuban Missle Crisis" and a fuller story than you ever heard from the evening news. The events as they unfolded were fascinating and the displays help you grasp the world significance of what Kennedy did. 


    And from his inaugural address we find this: 

Want to read more on Kennedy and his presidency?  Start with a wonderful site that gives an annotated bibliography of each president. Here you will find comments about the various books written about Kennedy.

http://www.presidentprofiles.com/Kennedy-Bush/Kennedy-John-F.html

These are not hyped up "everything is wonderful" comments but useful comments to aid you in selecting books. Under a different presidents bibliography they make the following comment after giving title and author "..this other wise fine biography is flawed only because it was written by his best friend"



Visiting the JFK Library site will give you lots of additional interesting information

http://www.jfklibrary.org/


If you prefer to just look at pictures relating to Kennedy and his times see 


http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images?_adv_prop=image&fr=yfp-t-701&va=John+F+kennedy+library

The William J. Clinton Library and Museum.

     This view of the unique architecture of the Clinton Library puts steel and glass to the phrase "..a bridge to the future.." , although it is headed for a wide spot in the Arkansas river.  
     Two things should be cared for before we go any further. First as a matter of full disclosure be aware that I did not vote for President Clinton and secondly the blue dress was not displayed in the museum. However, they did sell cigars in the gift shop. That being said we can start our tour.
      First of all the library is within walking distance of downtown Little Rock. 

To the left is a photo i copied from the official website. If you look closely at the extreme left side of the picture you will see the first section of an old bridge which was still there when I visited. Now a walking bridge and no longer used for vehicles, it somehow seems tied to the Library Bridge to the future concept.  This picture is taken from near the downtown area and is looking toward the east. 

  Here is the picture I took from just west of the I-30 overpass. The library is about 400 yards east of the expressway. Again you can see the end of the library on the left as well as the first beams of the old bridge.

 From inside the library you see this view of Little Rock looking down President Clinton Avenue. The picture to the right shows the I-30 bridge over the Arkansas River. Actually this wide spot in the River is shown on maps as David D. Terry Lake.                                                                     
                                              Here is the rest of the down town area as viewed from the Clinton Library. It looks farther than the half mile it takes to be among the shops of the tourist area. There is ample parking as seen to the left. 

 A circular desk area greets visitors after they pass the security checkpoints. It seems like the admission was something like $7 but I do not recall exactly what it was. 

The layout of the Museum differs from many. The Kennedy, Ford, Lincoln and other museums wind you around a chronological maze, with historical documents and artifacts around each turn. This is more open, and linear. The photo on the right shows "bulletin board" type displays that are done thematically. Clinton on the economy, military, foreign affairs, etc. On the right edge of the photo are what looks like book cases. They are binders that have the presidents daily activity for every day of his 8 years in office. You can just pull down one and check out when he had lunch, who was there, what he did at 1 PM and with whom, etc etc. That is the main floor. I am taking the photo from the second floor balcony. 

    Here the balcony is more obvious. The general division of what is displayed seems to be what Clinton did was chronicled on the main floor and dresses, china, gifts and general bric-a bac were on the second floor. 


Below is one of the "subject" displays. If you look carefully you will see it is entitled "prosperity". Each of the spaces between the book cases had a different display on a different subject.

 One section of the Museum has a full size replica of the Oval Office with reproductions of much of the furnishings. The lighting in the Oval Office was different than the rest of the Museum and I did not adjust for it. Sorry about the poor quality of these pictures. If you are at all interested in how the Oval Office was decorated for different presidents see the site this text editor stuck below the pictures.  Below is another view from the balcony/second floor.

http://www.whitehousemuseum.org/west-wing/oval-office-old.htm

Here is a sample table with the Clinton China. 

About 1/3 of a mile west of the Clinton Library and Museum is a tourist area and this street sign. A common post card in the area shows Bill, Hillary, and Chelsea all standing under this sign. Sorry I just couldn't resist having my wife pose for this picture. 

$25 and they give you styrafoam cups?

She also enjoyed a nice lunch in the Clinton Library and Museum dining room.














Among several interesting pieces of art and fine unusual gifts the Clinton's received is this rather striking glass tree. 

How would you ever dust it?

There was just something about the Clinton Museum and Library that did not settle well with me. I wrote it off to not sharing his political views. I only made it about two-thirds of the way through the first floor before I was overwhelmed with disinterest. The second floor was more interesting. Lots of oddities and collections of every kind of weird gift you can imagine. 
    It would take me a couple years before I visited the Kennedy Library near Boston to discover what had "bothered" me about Clinton's Library. It was the focus. Clinton's library was a saturation of "I did this and I did that".  Kennedy was a story of what had happened while Kennedy was in office. One was man (ego) centered and the other was nation centered. I preferred the latter. 
    Still it should not be missed. Getting to it is as simple as finding Little Rock. These libraries of the presidents will become treasures of information as the years add up. I hope to visit all of them. 
      One last note. NO!  I did not buy a cigar! 

A Carnegie Jewel - Lincoln, Illinois Public Library

   Abraham Lincoln would have loved the Lincoln Library. Unfortunately it was built in 1902, about 30 some years too late.  The city was settled in about 1850.  Abraham Lincoln helped to plat the city layout. (You did know that Lincoln had taught himself surveying and earned a living as a surveyor...of course you did!)
      In May (2011) I spent a week Checking out the new Lincoln Museum and Lincoln Presidential Library in Springfield.  On one of the drives around the area I stopped in Lincoln, Illinois about 30 miles north of Springfield. (On old route 66!) When I found the library it was obviously a jewel.

       

       The picture above is looking straight up at the skylight over the main desk just inside the entrance to the library.  What a marvelous piece of functional artwork to be found in a small town in Central Illinois. 

    This somewhat distorted perspective shows the columns, the name of the library and the classic roof lines over the entrance.         

Here is a picture of the library sign with the library in the background.  I am not the only person who thinks this small town Carnegie library is special. In 1980 it was added to the national register. 

    Most people are not aware of the tremendous impact on this country that Carnegie libraries have had. Take a few minutes and go to some of the Carnegie links I have listed here. 


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carnegie_library  This site shows 8 pictures of Carnegie Libraries with comments.


http://www.answers.com/topic/andrew-carnegie
      This site is a lengthy biography of Carnegie, well worth reading. Especially interesting is the section "Controversies".  In brief it relates seldom heard details of the Johnstown Flood.  Cambria Iron and Steel Company was the worlds largest steel producer and was located in Johnstown. Andrew Carnegie  was a member of the South Fork Hunting and Fishing club which owned property where there was a large dam 20 miles upstream from Johnstown..  Several conditions (including poor maintenace) combined in May of 1889 which caused the dam to burst creating the Johnstown flood and put Cambria out of business for a a year and a half. During that time Carnegie's steel company became the largest producer of steel.  There is still a Carnegie Library building there. It was built by Carnegie to replace the library that Cambria had funded and which was destroyed in the flood.   
     You will find some very interesting statistics. During his life time Andrew Carnegie gave away over 330 million dollars (about 50 million for libraries). We get so used to big numbers they lose their meaning. So let me help you grasp just how much money Andrew Carnegie poured into libraries around the world. 
     If you gave away $10,000 dollars every day for 13 years you would still have 2 and a half  million left of the 50 million. 
     OK enough history. Back to the Lincoln Library.

 This round desk serves as the working center of the library. Located directly below the skylight shown earlier it greets you as you enter the front doors. Notice the floor detail, the raised panels on the desk front and the ornate ends on the shelves behind the desk. 


Above the desk we can see some of the detailed wood work found throughout the library. Looking at it brings to mind an earlier time when craftsmanship and attention to detail was much more common then today's high tech pre-fabricated world.   

Here in another view of the main desk we also see the attention to detail in the floor. The rectangular section in the lower left is the front entrance of the library.  Even the wood covered columns are given the same attention as the rest of the woodwork. 

    If you turn to the left from the front entrance you will be standing directly under the large ornate sky light.  Here the shape and size of the woodwork around the skylight is replicated over the reading area. To the right of this area is another area with more of this lovely wood molding.  Look closely at the bottom left corner of this picture behind the green lamp shades. There you see the inset paneled wall covering.  The grandfather clock is almost lost in this display of woodworking. 

Here we see one of the many pieces of Mission Furniture that adds to the charm of this jewel of a library. Again notice the paneled wall covering and the base of the grandfather clock. 








I hope you have enjoyed this short visit to the Lincoln Library in Lincoln, IL. The staff happily provided me with a souvenir library card.  
    My main regret was I did not have time to grab a book, plop in a chair and enjoy this library for a days or so. But hopefully you can if you are ever in Central Illinois. 
     Thanks again for viewing my library blog. Comments are appreciated.  Send any to davidwiseley@gmail.com

Findlay Hancock County Library...The Rest of the Tour.

 


    This artistic sundial graces the street in front of the library.  As you can see on the side of the library I have been calling it by the wrong name in the previous blog.  The full name is Findlay-Hancock County Public Library.
     This interesting version of a sundial does more than just tell you what time it is.  Oh it does that but I think there was some way to determine what season of the year it was but I didn't take the time to figure it all out. I just enjoyed looking at it.  
      In the previous blog we came in the back door at the lower level. today we will visit the library from the front door to the right of where the above photo was taken.

Here is another view of the front of the building. Notice the glass area by the main entrance.  Let's see it from the inside

Greeting you inside the door is the always interesting statue of two children sharing a book on a bench.  Several libraries have this lovely piece of artwork depicting the same theme. What is interesting to me is I have never seen two of them that were exact duplicates. I think I will have to start looking for a manufacturers mark.
    All that aside this statue does a great job of giving the visitor a gentle and warm welcome to the library.

Here we see the inside of the entrance. The statue above is behind me in this picture. The glass provides lots of natural lighting and gives an open spacious feel. Sarah is leading my wife down the stairs to the lower level. The steps behind my wife lead to the upper level where the main library is housed.

    Here is a portion of the main reading room. The large collection of books is just to the left in this picture. The main entrance is in the upper right of the photo.  Here again we see the use of natural lighting with the long skylight above the study tables.  The entire library impressed me as one that was built to be a user friendly, working library built in an attractive manner.  I have seen too many libraries where form over powered function. Beautiful architecture, but not user friendly.  Findlay-Hancock was refreshing because here form was built around function, and done so attractively.

This view of the large main reading and stacks area shows an opening on the right side of the picture that leads through the genealogy department, into the electronic media (video's etc) and on to the children's area.  The numerous offerings in this library use the space well, and still maintain a feeling of openness.

As we leave the main reading room we pass by the information desk where a couple of savvy ladies work at the reference desk. They can quickly answer any question ...except maybe, what is wrong with your brother-in-law!
     Sarah stopped just to the right of this desk to give me my library card souvenir.  My wife also bought a nice library bag here as well.

    Sarah is giving me a souvenir library card for my collection. Just behind her is the genealogy room.  I spent parts of 3 days here researching my family roots.








Just below is a portion of the room set aside for video's etc.  I was somewhat surprised that so much room had been used for this department but was told it is a very popular  and growing part of the library. (And I thought libraries just loaned out books!)

H

I saw several simple but effective decorations, especially this Caterpillar in the children's book area. 

Below is a room for children to do graphics. Another very nice idea that provides additional resources for children. This was also housed in it's own room.  After the flood there were several re-assigned uses for space in the library with the result that the space they had was more efficiently used and provided even greater services.  Talk about people who know how to make lemons into lemonade! The Findlay-Hancock staff can do that. 

I have not shown you everything I saw during the tour.
 We skipped the computer rooms, the magazine reading room, the little tucked away corners where a cozy corner invites a reader to sit and read.  I skipped the meeting rooms, now in the lower level, the administrative offices wing, and the vending machine break area where you can sit with your coffee or eat some lunch while you read.  By now I think you have a pretty good idea that this is a well designed and well run place to do some serious research or just browse some books for relaxation. Or you might want to select from the many other services they offer.
   My favorite room was the genealogy area pictured to the right above. Look closely and you will see these three double sided rows contain a large collection. There are more along the wall to the left with modern microfilm readers along the wall to the right.
Speaking of microfilm, I used to get seasick after about 30 minutes of watching pictures fly by on the screen in front of me.  They still work a little like that except now they are computerized. You see the microfilm on a computer monitor. When you select what you want you can download it directly to your thumb drive and then take it home to process, study or print.  A very welcome advancement in Micro-film.
    Finally I will leave you with this, another example of form fitting into function. The wall in the genealogy room was fine as it was. But to add some fun, and artistic decor they added the scene below to the wall in the genealogy room.

     I hope you have enjoyed this tour of the Findlay-Hancock County Public Library.  Please check back next week for another library I have enjoyed in my travels.  I think I will be looking into presidential libraries, Starting with the Clinton in Little Rock, AR, where they do indeed sell cigars in the gift shop!
    Thanks for reading. Comments always welcome!