As children, we’re often told not to draw on the walls and doing so can lead to some serious trouble. But as the Stanley A. Milner library in downtown Edmonton prepares to shut its doors, Edmontonians are invited to do just that.
On Dec. 17, people are invited to make their mark on the library – literally – as the Stanley A. Milner branch hosts a graffiti open house. The main library space will be an open canvas for people to mark up, tag and draw on the walls.
“They can use Sharpies, they can use paint pens. They can write their favourite author, an image. They can write a quote. Whatever they want,” Jessica McPhee, communications manager with Edmonton Public Library, said.
READ MORE: Edmonton’s Stanley A. Milner Library gets ready for a facelift
The event will be held a few days after the books are moved out of the space, so they won’t get ruined. Although the library’s foundation will stay the same, the revitalization includes tearing out all the existing interior walls, which is why people are allowed to draw on them.
“This has been our home for 50 years and it’s a pretty big thing that we are closing it down and doing these major renovations so we want our customers to be able to come in and say farewell to the building,” McPhee said.
The downtown library will close on Dec. 31, 2016 to undergo major renovations. A temporary downtown library branch at Enterprise Square will open on Jan. 3, 2017.
READ MORE: New renderings show Edmonton’s Stanley A. Milner Library after revitalization
Renovations at Stanley A. Milner library are expected to take three years, with the new facility set to open in 2020.
The graffiti open house will also include other family-friendly programs and activities.
“We’ll have games, we’ll have memory stations where people can video record or write down their memories. We’ll have bands playing. We’ll even have some cake early on in the morning,” McPhee said.
The event will be held on Saturday, Dec. 17 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
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