By Kyle Jackson
The main Grand Rapids Public Library, located in downtown Grand Rapids, is one of the last public spaces downtown that doesn’t require money from visitors to utilize the space. As a result, the GRPL welcomes everyone, including students and local residents.
Founded in 1871, the originally named Ryerson Building was designed to be a permanent home for the public library. Previously, the public library had been housed in odd places, such as the top floor of a dry goods store.
Over time, the library changed and evolved to better suit the public. Additions were made to reduce overcrowding, various new resources were added, along with the introduction of the Dewey decimal system.
Both due to its history and its consistently diverse demographic, the GRPL offers a plethora of resources for everyone.
Some of these resources include free access to the Internet, printing stations, private study rooms, historical documentation, and various events.
Megan Biggins, a Grand Rapids local, is the Director of Public Services at the GRPL. Starting at GRPL in 2021, Biggins has worked at various libraries since her early 20s and has made a career out of it.
“The thing about the library,” said Biggins, “is that we support information resources and learning. And the library world has really taken on that mandate around events and we offer a really broad range. We really let… our community interests define us.”
These events, according to Biggins, are designed to engage people and help build community, ignite interests, and learn new skills or find resources to help and guide those that need it.
“You might come and experience an event like a resource fair,” continued Biggins, “which brings lots of nonprofits from the community together so members of (the) community, our patrons, can engage with multiple organizations at once and figure out how they can improve their lives, make them easier, access resources and services they were not aware of. And then we also do things like intro to abstract portraiture… It is fun to engage in a hobby or skill in an introductory way without having as such a high investment in learning how to do something…”
Events have previously included labs about life skills, collection drives, and even a variant of Comic-Con for those who want to experience it for free.
In addition to events, the GRPL also offers online resources such as understanding how to use LinkedIn, signing up for driving tests, and vocational studies for two-year students.
Due to the library’s accessibility, both online and in person at its many branches, the provided resources can (and have) created a major impact in local communities and will continue to do so.
For more information, visit the GRPL website here.
