Three days before Cleo Rogers died on Jan. 14, 1964, local leaders voted unanimously to name a planned, new library in her honor — a building that would be finished five years later by world-renowned architect I.M. Pei.
Now, half a century after the Cleo Rogers Memorial Library building opened honoring the longtime librarian, leaders will kick off a nearly year-long, golden celebration from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday inviting residents to share their memories about the library. The memories may be submitted via taped video messages at the library, or through submitted video messages via mobile devices any time over the next few months.
The current, 58,000-square-foot structure at 536 Fifth St. replaced a far smaller 1903 facility — without air-conditioning — at Fifth and Lafayette streets in October 1969. The official dedication unfolded two years later, according to library archives.
For more on this library’s anniversary plans, see Friday’s Republic.
