PORTLAND, Ore.--October 2, 2024
Multnomah County Library is excited to announce the grand opening of Midland Library on October 26, 2024. Midland is an inviting, modern space, built to reflect its diverse surrounding communities.
Multnomah County Library is transforming library spaces as part of a November 2020 capital bond. As a result, the library has renovated and expanded Midland Library, growing from 24,400 square feet to 30,000 square feet on the existing site as part of this approximately $31 million project.
Celebrating Midland with the community
Midland Library sees some of the highest usage of any library location in the county, having been the third busiest location in terms of circulation before it closed for construction. To recognize its role as a popular, diverse location, all of the updates are the result of extensive community and staff engagement with features for everyone in the community to enjoy.
To celebrate the opening of the updated, expanded Midland, the library is hosting two, fun-filled days of activities for the community on Saturday, October 26 and Sunday, October 27. From origami to hula and more, there will be plenty to do while exploring the new features of Midland Library. Patrons can stay up-to-date on the library website.
Advance press tour of Midland Library
**Due to the level of activity expected for the opening events, members of the media are invited to tour the renovation and expansion early on Wednesday, October 23 at 11 am. The press tour will meet outside the main entrance. At this time, the media can get photos of the completed building, explore new features and learn about the increased space, public art and more at Midland.**
Exterior rendering of Midland Library courtesy of Bora Architecture and Interiors
New features include:
- Outdoor interactive children’s garden.
- Large learning and play space for children and families.
- Teen room with space for technology, homework and creative expression.
- A sensory space.
- Community art gallery with areas for patrons to display their artwork.
- Multiple flexible programming and meeting rooms.
- Updated technology and internet.
- Automated Materials Handling to increase the efficiency of checking in and sorting books, ensuring materials get to patrons much faster.
- Modern self checkout stations to provide a better patron experience.
- Outdoor plaza for community members to relax and connect.
- An interior Gathering Circle and exterior Conversation Circle, designed with insights from Indigenous communities, symbolizing connection to the world around us and fostering conversations with others.
- New art that represents the community in partnership with the Regional Arts and Culture Council, including:
- Exterior entryway canopy
- Gathering Circle mural\
- Three sculptures along the entry plaza
Centering community engagement
Midland Library supports one of the most culturally diverse areas in the region. To amplify the community’s ideas, the library worked with Colloqate Design to host focus groups, online public meetings, one-on-one meetings with community members and public surveys. We received over 6,000 comments from more than 40 events. Community members cast over 1500 votes for Midland’s interior color, with the winning theme being deep blue colors inspired by water.
Additionally, 14 Community Design Advocates (CDAs) were part of a paid program to connect with their communities about how this library can represent them. CDAs represented many communities that are impacted by library projects, including Black and African American communities; Indigenous communities; immigrants and refugees; Asian and Pacific Islander communities; Latino / Hispanic people; seniors; and many more.
For teen spaces, project teams gathered innovative ideas and feedback through a paid teen program with Your Street, Your Voice, an organization where students learn design as a tool for social and environmental justice.
A new teen space
Midland Library’s new teen space continues the library’s goal to create unique, welcoming spaces for teens. With approximately 750 square feet of space guided by teen input, teens can enjoy a 75” display and Huddly sound bar, optimized to enhance their video gaming experience. They can also use the AV system to watch movies or use the video conferencing capabilities to be in community with other teens. The teen space also has computers with creative learning software for making music and art. Teens have an opportunity to plug in (or unplug!) in a new space.
Rendering of outdoor early learning and play area courtesy of Bora Architecture and Interiors
Learning and playing in the children’s area: Both indoors and outdoors
Midland Library is continuing the commitment to early learning and development with a truly special feature: the library system’s first-ever outdoor interactive children’s garden. The garden, which is safely enclosed with views of the park, hosts large, pebble-shaped stepping stones, play mounds and a pair of talking tubes.
The outdoor interactive children’s garden also connects to a large new dedicated children’s area indoors for even more learning and play possibilities. This area has unique furniture developed in tandem with the design team and Burgeon Group, the premier firm designing, building, and installing creative early learning spaces in public libraries.
Designed with the themes of the Columbia River, the space is filled with interactive pieces, reading nooks, and seating areas for reading together and child/caregiver interactions. The banks of the river come to life with oversize cattails, native flora and fauna, and a splashing salmon tail that invites families to stay and play.
A sensory space for all
Midland is also home to the first-ever sensory room in the library system. The sensory room is a space dedicated to supporting patrons with diverse sensory needs. This room can be flexible in its use, from providing a calm, quiet area to a space for more focused activity. Midland's sensory space has a variety of lighting options as well as interactive furniture including a bubble tube and fiber optic tunnel. It’s one more way that the library is providing welcoming spaces for the diverse needs of patrons.
Places for connection
With multiple community rooms available for patron use, people can connect much easier at Midland Library. Going from three meeting rooms before construction to 10 community rooms with approximately 4,450 square feet total after construction, the library is excited to expand these places for connection.
To increase connection, the technology team has equipped all community rooms in Midland with audio/visual (A/V) materials:
- Three small community rooms
- Two medium community rooms
- Three large community rooms
- Two community rooms which can be used separately or combined into one larger space
Additionally, these community rooms are even more accessible thanks to assistive listening systems (ALS) which amplify sounds from lectures, presentations, storytimes, and events, allowing hard-of-hearing patrons to fully engage with library programs and resources. Midland offers assistive listening systems via two different methods: a hearing loop built into the flooring of the large community rooms and a portable offering which includes a microphone for the speaker and a listening device for the audience.
Midland is yet another library location to introduce Multnomah County’s new fiber network, providing increased internet speeds and bandwidth. The building boasts a strong wi-fi signal throughout. Plus, a self-service kiosk with 30 total devices (12 Chromebooks and 18 laptops) allows patrons the option to check out laptops for use in the library.
Artwork for all
As part of these building projects, each major location gains engaging new artwork thanks to the Multnomah County Percent for Art Program which is led by the Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC). RACC advocates for equity, inclusion and access within the arts and connects artists and creatives to opportunities throughout the region.
At Midland Library, there's a new entry canopy, framing the redesigned entrance and exterior public plaza. The underside of the canopy, spanning the width of the building, features artwork by local artists Lillyanne Pham (LP) and Paola De La Cruz (she/her). Lillyanne is a second-generation Vietnamese artist and cultural organizer who creates through a systemic consciousness framework and lens, specifically place-based justice and racial equity. Paola, originally from the Dominican Republic, interweaves digital and analog media, patterns, stitching and shape-based illustrations to evoke intimacy while challenging the themes of cultural identity, coming of age and interpersonal growth. Together, Lillyanne and Paola conceive and actualize socially engaged projects through their art-nership Qué Lo Gì, which blend one another's strengths, passions and creativity.
Rendering of the Gathering Circle courtesy of Bora Architecture and Interiors
Additionally, artist Kanani Miyamoto created an original 2-dimensional mixed-media wall-mounted artwork which frames Midland’s interior Gathering Circle, a communal seating area that encourages and fosters connection. Kanani is a practicing artist, curator, adjunct instructor and teacher whose work focuses on sharing and celebrating her unique mixed heritage in the hopes of representing her community and the beauty of intersectional identities.
Another artwork welcoming patrons to Midland Library is a series of sculptures of varying sizes installed along the plaza. These sculptures take the place of the beloved clocktower, which had to be moved due to the library expanding to the south. The new beacon artworks, created by Ukrainian/Canadian artist team HYBYCOZO, will be prominently located on the south side of the new building, greeting patrons and staff upon their arrival to this revitalized and beloved community space.
In addition to the RACC artwork, engaging linework on the exterior of the library welcomes visitors from diverse communities. This linework is directly inspired by the communities themselves based on a pattern workshop led by Colloqate Design.
A resilient building
Colloqate Design is the design architect for Midland and also led community engagement, while Bora Architecture & Interiors is the architect of record. Swinerton is the General Contractor. Midland Library is on track to be LEED Gold certified, one of the highest levels of energy efficiency awarded to buildings and a County standard. Midland Library reduced its impact by reusing a lot of the existing building structure and facades. The building also boasts highly efficient mechanical and plumbing systems as well as low emitting materials which contribute to indoor air quality.
“Midland Library’s renovation and expansion means significant and lasting benefits for the community,” said Annie Lewis, Interim Director of Libraries. “As one of the busiest libraries in the county, we know these new spaces—from a Gathering Circle for community conversation and connection to the library’s first ever sensory space– will result in enriching opportunities for the entire community.”
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About Multnomah County Library
A treasured community institution since 1864, Multnomah County Library is one of the nation’s busiest public library systems, providing social, educational and cultural programs, resources and services, online and through its 19 public locations. With an eye toward the future of community-centered spaces, the library is working to build, rebuild or expand nine libraries through a voter approved capital bond. In addition to being Oregon’s largest provider of free internet access, the library offers millions of print and digital resources, in multiple languages for people of all ages. From kindergarten readiness to job training, computer-assisted design and 3D printing, the library supports all people in their pursuits to connect, learn and create. Learn more at multcolib.org
For media inquiries related to the Regional Arts and Culture Council, please contact comms@racc.org