Go Inside the Hyattsville Library One Last Time

Hyattsville public library demolition

Before the old Hyattsville public library goes, a librarian decided to pay a final visit.

In an episode of “Hard Hat Librarian,” Prince George’s County library system manager Michael Gannon gives a deadpan tour of the historic library, set to be demolished soon to make way for a $32.7 million new library.

The unusually watchable three-minute video is highlighted by Gannon’s deadpan delivery and some interesting facts about what was once state of the art about the library when it was built in 1964. A few highlights:

• The library was first named for John F. Kennedy, but Robert Kennedy asked the library board to change it so JFK’s name wouldn’t be diluted.

• Among the state-of-the-art touches in 1964: heating elements in the sidewalk to melt snow, wall-to-wall carpeting and a book elevator.

• The flying saucer, which will be saved when the new library is built, will feature a “reading garden” underneath it.

• The new library’s children’s section will feature a castle, dragon, talking tree, troll bridge and a classic literature theme.

You can watch the video online here.

This entry was posted in Hyattsville and tagged , . Bookmark the permalink.

One response to “Go Inside the Hyattsville Library One Last Time”

  1. Debbie H White says:

    If you missed the WaPo piece about the Library published back in May, here’s the link: https://www.washingtonpost.com/…/15825026-3042-11e7…

Recent Posts

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this
blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

  • Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Discover more from

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading