EARLIER STORY: New library will bring patrons back, officials say
A free, family-friendly Community Open House, hosted by the staff of the Dayton Metro Library, will be held in late May or early June to officially debut the new main library.
“Given the library has one chance to pull back the curtain on this new community-wide asset, and given most of us will never have the opportunity to commemorate the opening of such a significant public institution again in our lifetimes, the committee decided to create something truly unforgettable,” said Diane Farrell, director of external relations and development for the Dayton Metro Library.
Construction is on schedule
The library has undergone a $62 million renovation and expansion since September 2015. The project is part of the Dayton Metro Library’s system-wide Libraries for a Smarter Future improvement project. Voters approved funding for the library system overhaul.
“The opening of the new downtown library is rushing toward completion,” said Tim Kambitsch, executive director of the Dayton Metro Library, “We hope to begin moving back books and installing furnishings in March and we plan a late spring or early summer grand opening.”
The Main Event
“Ticketholders can explore their new library weeks before it opens to the public,” said Michelle Kaye, co-chair of The Main Event committee. “They will be able to see for themselves the library’s transformation and the new possibilities it brings to our community.”
Farrell said that the event will “rival galas in major cities across the country.”
“Attendees will be greeted with valet arrival, themed libations with the region’s hottest bartenders, food stations featuring the area’s finest catering companies, lots of live music, all kinds of dancing, live art creation, and interactivity at every turn,” Farrell said.
Tickets for The Main Event go on sale in early 2017. Sponsorships are available, but individual tickets are $150 per person, including food, drinks and valet parking.
“The Dayton Metro Library Foundation is so excited to offer this sneak peek of the main library for one amazing evening,” said Rodney Veal, co-chair to Team 17, the volunteer committee planning the Main Event.
Kambitsch hopes the event creates “new library ambassadors.”
“Attendees will walk away talking about their awesome experience and they will share their excitement about the new building with friends and family,” he said. “There will be features that many people won't expect. The Main Event participants will pique the curiosity of thousands more.”
For more information, visit www.DaytonMetroLibrary.org/TheMainEvent or call Megan Cooper at 937-496-8516.
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