Mosaic Mantel, Library of Congress, Washington DC

Mosaic Mantel by Frederick Dielman. Representatives' Reading Room. HISTORY: In the center stands the Muse of History with recording pen and gold-clasped volume. In the panels are names of great historians: Herodotus. Thucydides. Polybius. Livy. Tacitus. Baeda. Comines. Hume. Gibbon. Niebuhr. Guizot. Ranke. Bancroft. Motley. On the left side sits Mythology with recording stylus and globe symbolic of the myths of the worlds. Beside her are a winged Sphinx and Pandora's box. On the right is the venerable figure of Tradition, and by her with a lyre sits a youthful poet who will sing the story that she tells. In the distance back of Mythology rise the Pyramids, back of History the Parthenon, and beyond Tradition the Colosseum. - From Practical Guide Library of Congress

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Marshall Public Library, Marshall, Michigan MI

An older postcard view.

A more recent view.

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Carnegie Public Library, Arkansas City, Kansas KS

On March 7, 1892, the Fortnightly Club, consisting of “civic- minded ladies,” established a book collection for its members. In November 1896, this collection was opened to “a limited number who shall be called Library Members.” The Y.M.C.A. also sponsored a reading room, but it was not until April 1900, that Miss Lillie R. Gilliland attempted to organize a library. She established a circulating library, called the Arkansas City Library, and it was situated in the Commercial Club Assembly Room. It had 75 members who paid $1.00 each for a membership fee. The collection consisted of 500-600 volumes. At the end of the year the Commercial Club “failed to vote any help for the Library,” and Miss Gilliland gave away or sold the books at this point. To read more about the history of this Carnegie Library, click here!

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Public Library, Warsaw, New York

An early 20th century view.

A more recent view.

The Warsaw Public Library History.

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1907 Public Library, Stoneham, Massachusetts MA

The best account of the Library's nineteenth century beginnings can be found in Judge William B. Stevens' History of Stoneham (1891). Ironically this is the same Judge Stevens who, while lavishing praises upon the Library's first proponents, chaired a committee that
issued a minority report urging the people of Stoneham to turn down Andrew Carnegie's 1903 offer of funds for the construction of what today is the oldest part of the plant. The history of this library is available here in PDF.

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The Stickler Memorial Library, Orange, NJ

c1900 postcard published by National Art Views, N.Y. City, no. 2071

According to a New York Times article 25 June 1900, the cornerstone of the library, located at Main Street and Essex Avenue, was put in place by JW Stickler, who is erecting the library as a memorial to his son. The new library would cost in the neighborhood of $100,000 (about $2,645,000 in 2008 dollars).

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