The Grace A. Dow Memorial Library is a public library located at 1710 W St Andrews in Midland, Michigan, U.S.A. The library serves Midland County, and is named after the wife of Herbert Henry Dow (founder of the Dow Chemical Company), Grace A. Dow. The building is adjacent to both the Midland Center for the Arts and Dow Gardens. The library has geographical coordinates of 43°37′33″N 84°14′53″W / 43.625747°N 84.248056°W / 43.625747; -84.248056.
The library traces its history back to 1899 as a private library with an annual subscription fee of one dollar. In 1915, it was placed under the control of the city of Midland. In 1953, the current building was completed in construction, and was renamed after Grace A. Dow who had recently died. Alden B. Dow, the son of Grace and Herbert Dow, designed and dedicated the building.
The Friends of the Grace A. Dow Memorial Library is an organization that raises money for the library through book sales.
The building is also home to the studios and offices of Midland Community Television, the Public, educational, and government access (PEG) cable tv channel for Midland, which cablecasts four stations (including MPS TV) on channels 3, 5, 15 and 17 on the local Charter cable system.
The library features a large children's section and a Teen Spot, a place specially for 6th thru 12th graders, and includes many young adult books, computers, comfortable seating and an island table.
The library also rents laptops out for use within the building and has free Wifi.
Famous quotes containing the words grace a, grace, dow, memorial and/or library:
“Just as the creative artist is not allowed to choose, neither is he permitted to turn his back on anything: a single refusal, and he is cast out of the state of grace and becomes sinful all the way through.”
—Rainer Maria Rilke (1875–1926)
“Love not me for comely grace,
For my pleasing eye or face,
Nor for any outward part:
No, nor for a constant heart!”
—Unknown. Love Not Me for Comely Grace (l. 1–4)
“The woman was old and ragged and gray
And bent with the chill of the Winter’s day.”
—Mary Dow Brine (1816–1913)
“When I received this [coronation] ring I solemnly bound myself in marriage to the realm; and it will be quite sufficient for the memorial of my name and for my glory, if, when I die, an inscription be engraved on a marble tomb, saying, “Here lieth Elizabeth, which reigned a virgin, and died a virgin.””
—Elizabeth I (1533–1603)
“It is the interest one takes in books that makes a library. And if a library have interest it is; if not, it isn’t.”
—Carolyn Wells (1862–1942)