Mr. Pei recommended the closing of Lafayette Street between Fifth and Sixth streets to create a viable public space. Many outdoor concerts and art shows have been presented on the plaza. Popfest, co-sponsored by the Columbus Indiana Philharmonic and Salin Bank and Trust, is an annual day of concerts that has been held on the library plaza since 1980. The I. M. Pei Library building is a brick pavilion with solid walls on the east and west. The main entrance vestibule is located off center at the west end of the front of the building on Fifth Street.
Long windows are deeply recessed.
The coffered concrete ceiling aids in acoustical control and houses lighting, heating and ventilating equipment. On the main floor and mezzanine level are adult reference and circulation collections. Also available in this area are large print books, compact discs, videocassettes, magazines, newspapers and back issues of periodicals on microfilm and microfiche. A computerized catalog, Internet stations, and other computers aid users in locating needed information. The children's library , on the lower level with its own entrance to the west, also is accessible from the main library.