Library oak sculpture an outdoor reading space
What do the books “Goodnight Moon,” The Yearling” and “A Land Remembered” have in common?
A likeness of each of the three books is carved into the trunk of a massive live oak tree on the grounds of the LeRoy Collins Public Library downtown.
Most the 160-year-old tree was cut down in January because it posed a safety risk to library patrons, but Wednesday marks the next chapter in its storied life.
Chainsaw artist John Birch has spent the summer crafting the sculpture high in what used to be the tree’s canopy and trunk. The tree-top scene, complete with a youngster reading a book, a girl with plans for a tree fort and the face of a man poking through a knothole, has been stained a deep brown color.
At 10:30 a.m., a dedication ceremony is being held at the base of the tree, which will become an outdoor reading site. “Goodnight Moon” will be read during the dedication when pieces of the tree can be taken home in commemoration.
A new kind of library branch: Artist transforms rotted oak
If you go
What: Live oak dedication ceremony
When: Wednesday Sept. 28 at 10:30 a.m.
Where: Leon County Main Library, 200 W. Park Avenue