Plaza Midwood Branch Library

The structure of the old East Branch Library is still in tact on the corner of Thomas and Commonwealth Avenue.

The front door and the book depository of the old library remain.

The present day Plaza Midwood Branch Library stands on the corner of Central Avenue and the Plaza.

This clip from the Plaza Midwood Village flyer discusses the creation of the new library.

This letter from the Plaza Midwood Neighborhood Assiciation attempts to convince the Library Board not to relocate the East Branch Library.

A change of plans to not relocate the East Branch Library in 1980 shows that the Neighborhood Association was successful in thieir efforts to save the library.

Plaza Midwood was going through revitalizations in the 1970s and 1980s. Originally located on the corner of Thomas and Commonwealthy Avenue, the old East Branch Library was under threat of being relocated to a shopping center in 1980. The Neighborhood Association banded together to keep the library in Plaza Midwood, just a block away from the Miracle Mile business district.

Their argument to keep the library on the corner of Thomas and Commonwealth Avenue was its close proximity to the business district. The expected increase of people visiting the businesses along Central Avenue meant there would be more patrons coming to the library.

However, after the Neighborhood Association saved the library from relocation, complaints concerning the library's limited space came under scrutiny. It became apparent that limited space to expand for a growing collection would hinder the library from flourishing along with the business district.

To adjust to this demand for more space, a new library was opened in 1995. The 3,000 square foot old library was thus replaced with a 8,100 square foot library, which still stands today on the corner of Central Avenue and The Plaza.