For Immediate Release – June 13, 2005
A public library is a place of silence and shushing by sweater-wearing
librarians with rigid demeanors caused by tightly drawn buns, right? No wait,
that’s so sixties. Now new libraries are small, sleek techie hubs where all
information is sucked in from cyberspace by self-isolated earbud-cloistered
patrons….wait that’s not right either.
The people of Elgin, Illinois took a different approach. In 2003, they
built a grand new beautiful contemporary Prairie-style library building along
the shores of the Fox River. There, books, multi-media materials and all the
cyber gear reside under soaring ceilings and architectural gems like a
two-story rotunda and a 4-sided fireplace centered in a quiet reading room
overlooking the river. Library leaders decided this new home could be indeed a
place of research, quiet study and of cyber searches. They also decided that
it could be a vibrant gathering place for the community. And what better way
to entice the public than with an eye-popping, attention-getting exhibit. They
said ‘bring ‘em on;’ we want huge, magnificent dinosaurs.
Enter Project Exploration and their awe inspiring exhibit GIANTS: African
Dinosaurs created by Project Exploration. Designed by world-renowned
University of Chicago paleontologist Dr. Paul Sereno and educator Gabrielle
Lyon, this exhibit highlights and brings to life some of the most important
dinosaur discoveries of the last decade.
Grand Victoria Foundation agreed to provide the major funding to support
this extraordinary exhibit with a gift of $175,000.
Editor, Writer, Newscaster, Photographer – this event has it all
Have you ever seen the piece-by-piece installation of a 33-foot high
dinosaur cast skeleton? That happens in late August 2005. In fact, most of the
exhibit installation will take place when the library is open.
The exhibit will be placed throughout the library, with the hope that
enjoying these magnificent casts can co-exist with normal library operations,
will run from September through December 2005, and include:
- Five life-sized African dinosaur cast skeletons and a human skeleton
- Skeletal and flesh reconstructions of an African pterosaur
- Nearly 50 associated fossils, casts, and models
- “Touch Gallery” of skulls and fossils
- A 33-foot-high, 60-foot-long rearing plant eater, Jobaria
- Suchomimus, a T-rex-sized fish-eater
- Carcharodontosarus skull and flesh model
- Self-guide tour materials
- Lecture by Dr. Paul Sereno, November 4, 7 p.m.
Features Galore
Tired of the “media only cover bad news or boring good news mantra?” This
one has feature/filler/photo fodder to inform and entertain any manner of
media audience.
- exhibit of this magnitude is extremely rare in a public library
- a community pitching in to support an exhibit and dinosaurs. Dozens of
community people and representatives from organizations are involved in the
planning of the exhibit and the financial support.
- a visionary community builds a library large enough to go beyond
“normal” library services where an exhibit of this size and educational
value can happen
- how an exhibit of this nature bridges culture and language barriers
–over 35 % of the Elgin area population are of Hispanic heritage. We plan to
have all materials translated into Spanish and to have docents providing
tours in Spanish as well.
- how this exhibit brings science to city kids and how this setting
affords them many avenues for further study. The local Girl Scout council,
Sybaquay, which serves over 14,000 girls, is designing a special badge for
scouts to earn in conjunction with this exhibit.
- how this exhibit is attractive to all ages. The programming committee
includes library staffers as well as representatives from area museums,
senior Shirley Rauschenberger and local community activist Betsy Couture
along with her twelve-year-old son, Brandon.
- The public art Dinos on Parade will be launched in the summer of 2005 to
financially support the exhibit and no taxpayer funds will be used.
About the Organizations
Project Exploration
Project Exploration is a Chicago-based nonprofit science education
organization co-founded by paleontologist Paul Sereno and educator Gabrielle
Lyon to make science accessible to the public—especially city kids and girls.
"Project Exploration uses the long ago past to get kids thinking about
their futures. They begin to understand that the earth is always changing—how
what happened years ago affects life today and, consequently, how what we do
today affects tomorrow." –Dr. Paul Sereno, President and Cofounder
Through youth development programs, services for schools and teachers,
online programs, and public exhibits, Project Exploration works to create
personalized opportunities for meaningful interactions between science and
people least likely to have meaningful experiences with science.
"Project Exploration ensures everyone has access to the excitement of new
discoveries—and can learn about science from the scientists themselves.
Because we put kids' interests at the center, we connect learning to lives."
–Gabrielle Lyon, Executive Director and Cofounder.
Gail Borden Public Library District:
The Elgin area's public library is over 125 years old with a long history
of educating, entertaining and informing community members. The name? The
first library building was donated by the family of Gail Borden, the inventor
of condensed milk.
In 2003, the library moved into its new 140,000-square-foot Gail Borden
Public Library building at 270 North Grove Avenue along the Fox River.
Not many, if any, public libraries have ever hosted an exhibit of this
nature, but the Gail Borden Library has a history of innovation. In 1977, they
developed an Early Learning Center to promote interactive play between adults
and children, a bold and unusual feature in a public library at that time. In
addition, the Gail Borden Public Library was the first public library in
Illinois to adopt an automated check out system in 1974.
Gail Borden Library’s mission is to serve the district residents in the
pursuit of educational, informational, recreational and professional needs by
providing a wide range of materials and services.
This library’s slogan? Learning is a journey…start it here.
About the Grand Victoria Foundation
Grand Victoria Foundation is a private foundation established by the Grand
Victoria Casino. The Foundation makes grants throughout Illinois to
organizations that strive to strengthen educational opportunities for children
and adults; boost the economic vitality of cities and regions; and restore and
preserve the health of our environment.
For further information, please contact:
Carole Medal, Director, Gail Borden Public Library
847.429.4699
cmedal@nsls.info
www.gailborden.info
Karen Maki, Asst. Director, Gail Borden Public Library
847.429.5976
maki@nsls.info
www.gailborden.info
Joan Berna, President, Gail Borden Public Library Board
847.888.1693
Denise Raleigh, Head of Marketing and Public Information, Gail Borden
Public Library
847.429.5981
draleigh@nsls.info
www.gailborden.info
Nancy Fishman, Executive Director, Grand Victoria Foundation
312.609.0200
nancyf@grandvictoriafdn.org
www.grandvictoriafdn.org
Gabrielle Lyon, Executive Director, Project Exploration
773.834.7614
glyon@projectexploration.org
www.projectexploration.org
