Gary wants public advice on what to do with old DuBois library branch building

When the Gary Public Library re-opened their main library building downtown, the casualty was the library branch on Broadway named for activist W.E.B. DuBois.

That library, opened in 1979, was the newest structure used by the Gary Public Library system and even served as the main library for the Gary system from 2012-18, when the downtown main library was shuttered and underwent significant repairs.

But the DuBois building at 1835 Broadway still stands, and the library board is trying to figure out potential future uses for the property.

Officials have scheduled a public input hearing for 6 p.m. Monday at the main library building, 220 W. 5th Ave.

Maria Strimbu, a public relations manager for the Gary Public Library, said officials hope people will attend offering ideas on what could become of the building, which sits on a prime plot of land along Broadway just south of downtown.

The public input session will be held 6 p.m. , prior to the library board’s June meeting, which is scheduled to begin at 6:45 p.m.

Strimbu could not say whether any specific plans for the library site’s future are in the works, and Common Council members who are following the issue also were unaware of any proposals being considered for the site.

Councilwoman Carolyn Rogers, D-4th, said she hopes to attend the session on Monday to gain a better understanding of the issue.

“This is a very important meeting, and I would hope a lot of people show interest in what happens,” Rogers said.

“Hopefully, residents will come out to express their own ideas on what should be done,” she said. “The future of that branch, and the neighborhood surrounding it, will be at stake.”

The Gary Public Library system currently is down to the main library building, which also serves as a cultural center for the city, along with branch libraries in the Miller neighborhood at the Carter G. Woodson branch at 501 S. Lake St., and in the Glen Park neighborhood at 3953 Broadway.

Although at various points in time during the Gary Public Library’s existence, which dates back to 1908, there have been as many as nine different branches that existed in neighborhoods throughout the city.

The branch was named in tribute to DuBois, a founder of the NAACP and the first African-American to earn a doctoral degree from Harvard University. He spent his life fighting for empowerment for black people, and many of the ideals he pushed for in life ultimately were incorporated into the Civil Rights Act that became federal law in 1964 – the year after he died.