Dedication of the Ives library building: the gift of Mrs. Mary E. Ives, New Haven, Connecticut

The Hon. Samuel R. Avis, President of the Library Board, accepted the trust, pledging himself and his colleagues to its care and maintenance:

This building will be a depository for books, but it will also be more than that. It will be a center from which books must be circulated among the people—all the people, including every tribe and nation who come to make their homes among us. It must be the people's university, and as the university of the people it must be kept abreast of the times by constant additions of books that disclose every phase of the world's progress. This means large additions of books continually, and if this is not done this library will only partially fulfil its mission. Therefore, it will be necessary for the city to give it liberal support. We have had bequests, the income of which we use for the purchase of books, and we hope this gift of Mrs. Ives will stimulate others to bequests of this kind, and we believe it will; but the city should make its yearly appropriation for the maintenance of this building and the purchase of books as though these bequests did not exist, for they were not made to relieve the city of this obligation, but to aid the library.

Video: Reading Increases the Imagination

Public Library, South Bend, Indiana

[LIB1833] The South Bend Board of Education in 1894, purchased a lot at the corner of Main and Wayne St. in downtown South Bend. The cornerstone was laid in the spring of 1895 and on May 8, 1896, the Library opened to the public. By the late 1920's, it was evident that because of its growth, a larger facility would be needed to house the main library. Tippecanoe Place was one of the buildings which seemed to surface when a new library building was discussed. Because of it's victorian features, this building become known as "The Castle". [Read more history here]

Special Collection: An Illustrated Historical Atlas of St. Joseph's County, Indiana This database is a digital version of the 1875 Illustrated Historical Atlas of St. Joseph County, Indiana. This searchable digital book includes information on townships, towns, and landowners throughout the county as well as biographical sketches of early pioneer residents. Engravings of residences, schools, churches, and businesses are also included. Free access! Thank you to this nice library, please support it! [Database]

1913 Public Library, Benton Harbor, Michigan

[LIB1832] This building, funded by the Carnegie Foundation, was opened in 1903. It has since been demolished. For more Carnegie Libraries of Michigan, visit Judy Aulik's nice website, Library Postcards: Civic Pride in a Lost America.

1906 Dickinson Library, Northfield, Massachusetts

[LIB1831] Early 20th century postcard addressed to Leila D. Taylor, Port Jervis, New York.

On June 9, 1898 visitors flocked to the library dedication at the Congregational Church by carriage, bicycle, and a large contingent by train from Fitchburg. The keys were received by Dr. Norman P. Wood, who was to continue as chairman of the library trustees for 32 years. After the Seminary girls sang, evangelist D. L. Moody, one of the speakers, asked them to turn toward the elderly donor and sing the Northfield Benediction: "The Lord bless thee and keep thee..." The final speaker, Rev. G. Glenn Atkins of Greenfield, reiterated that townspeople must now keep the library vital by saying, "I reaffirm that your responsibility is great." He continued,

"This library will be what you make it. You must give it financial support, give generously, regularly, and keep at it... Mr. Dickinson gave the library; see to it that it has a beautiful soul."

From a History of the Library, Written by Betty Congdon. [Website]

1914 The Talcott Library, Northfield Seminary, East Northfield, Massachusetts

[LIB1830]

1911 Public Library, Portland, Maine

[LIB1829] Special Collection: The Portland Room The Portland Room, located on the 2nd level of the Main Library, was designed to house the Library's special collections. The materials represent the Portland Public Library's rich heritage and longstanding commitment to excellence.

The collections include rare books (the earliest was printed in 1540), Maine newspapers, maps, photographs, broadsides, and other ephemera. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, Portland was an important printing and publishing center, a fact well-illustrated by the Portland Room's impressive collections of works printed by Portland's famous Anthoensen Press and Thomas B. Mosher Press, both of which enjoyed international reputations for fine printing.

The Portland Room also offers the Maine News Index and Jordan Index of Maine newspaper abstracts dating back to the 1780s. Portland Room staff are available for research assistance at 871-1700 x747 or portlandroom@portland.lib.me.us. [Website]

Portland Head Lighthouse by lightdreamer
Sell posters online at Zazzle.

1907 Masonic Temple and Public Library, New Rochelle, New York

[LIB1806] The local chapter of the Fraternal Order of Masons was making a clear statement when it constructed this imposing building at the turn of the 20th century. Located in the heart of the community’s rapidly growing business district, the structure was designed to be one of the largest in the downtown, and the most monumental.

The first and immediate tenant was the New Rochelle Library. Moving out of their small quarters in the New Rochelle Trust Company building at 40 Centre Avenue (no longer standing), the trustees leased two floors of the new Masonic Temple, as it was called. In addition to stacks of books, the Masonic building allowed the library to offer a large reading room, a reference room and a special space for children’s books and programs. As the community grew in leaps and bounds during this decade, so did the library needs of the community. In 1910 the city joined many other municipalities across the country in requesting a new library from Andrew Carnegie. [Website]

Public Library, Newark, New York

[LIB1805]

Delivery Room, Boston Public Library, Boston, Massachusetts

[LIB1804] Special Collection: Allen A. Brown Music Collection The heart of the Music Department's holdings is the Allen A. Brown Music Collection, named for the donor who presented it to the Library in 1895. By the terms of the gift, the original collection is housed in a specially designated area, and the books and other materials included in it are restricted to use in the Music Reading Room. Mr. Brown made regular additions to his original gift of 6,990 volumes so that it had nearly tripled in size by his death in 1916. The collection continues to grow through purchases from trust funds, including the Allen A. Brown Fund, and now contains more than 40,000 books, scores, and manuscripts.

The Brown Collection reflects the broad musical interests and activities of a collector and serious amateur musician at the turn of the century. It is well rounded in the area of operas, oratorios, orchestral and chamber music as well as solo songs and catches and glees both in manuscript and published score format. One of the important aspects of the collection is the ephemera Mr. Brown collected and preserved. Reviews of performances, published interviews, biographical sketches, concert programs, etc. are pasted in many of the books and scores that he purchased as well as in the numerous scrapbooks which he compiled.

Years of heavy use and environmental conditions have taken their toll on the collection. As a result, certain parts of the Collection have had to be restricted to persons working on serious research projects and graduate students working on their theses or dissertations. Prospective users should be prepared to present letters of introductions and proper credentials. For further information, please contact the Music Department. [Website]

"Art" Boston Public Library, Boston, Massachusetts

[LIB1803] From a photograph by Baldwin Coolidge. This vintage postcard shows "Art," by Bela L. Pratt.

Elijah P. Lovejoy Library, Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville, Illinois

[LIB1802] The Library was named for the abolitionist newspaper editor, Elijah Lovejoy, who was shot and killed while defending his press from a pro-slavery mob in Alton, Illinois in 1837.

Special Collection: The National Ragtime and Jazz Archive In March 1974 the Board of Trustees, in recognition of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville's part in the St. Louis metropolitan community and its rich cultural tradition of jazz and ragtime music, established the National Ragtime and Jazz Archive (NRJA) at Lovejoy Library. The archive documents early recorded jazz and in particular the lives of notable jazz musicians from the St. Louis area. The John Randolph Collection, with approximately 10,500 78-rpm records, provided the original basis for the NRJA Record Collection. Today there are more than 20,000 records in the archive. Audio and videotapes, sheet music, piano rolls, photographs and oral history materials are also included. [Website]

1916 Talcott Library, East Northfield, Massachusetts

[LIB1801] James Talcott, founder trustee of Northfield Seminary, Northfield, Mass., where he erected a library building.

1906 Public Library, Buffalo, New York

[LIB1800] Beautiful vintage postcard published by The Rotograph Co., New York City.

Special Collection The Mark Twain Room Made possible by public and private funding, including a $50,000 grant from the Margaret L. Wendt Foundation, the Mark Twain Room officially opened to the public on May 12, 1995. Leaves from the original handwritten manuscript of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn are on display in the center of the room.

In the early 1930s, the Buffalo Public Library (a predecessor of the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library,) began to build a unique collection of special English and foreign language editions of the novel. Through the years, this collection has continued to grow. These remarkable items, Twain ephemera, and other collectibles, currently number more than five hundred, filling the bookcases lining the walls.

A portrait of Twain hangs prominently above the restored mantel from Olivia and Samuel Clemens’ Buffalo home. Norman Rockwell prints from a 1940 edition of Huckleberry Finn published by The Heritage Press enhance the wall space on either side. The steamer trunk, where the leaves of the first half of the manuscript lay forgotten for many years, is also on display. [Website]

1972 J. Y. Joyner Library, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina

[LIB1776] Namesake: James Yadkin Joyner (1862-1954), a North Carolina native, graduated from the University of North Carolina in 1881 with a Ph.B. degree (bachelor of philosophy) at age 19, the youngest member of the class. He taught at Winston Graded Schools (1884-1885) and served as superintendent at Goldsboro Graded Schools (1889-1893). During the intervening period, he studied at Greensboro Law School (1885-1886) and practiced law in the firm of Faircloth, Allen, and Joyner (1886-1889), in Goldsboro. In 1902 Governor Charles Brantley Aycock appointed Joyner superintendent of public instruction. Joyner held his position until 1919. During his term, he instituted many reforms in the state's system of public education. [More information at the Library website]

James Yadkin Joyner : educational statesman

1912 New Post Library, Fortress Monroe, Virginia

[LIB1775] Fort Monroe (also known as Fortress Monroe) is a military installation in Hampton, Virginia – at Old Point Comfort, the southern tip of the Virginia Peninsula. Along with Fort Wool, Fort Monroe guarded the navigational channel between the Chesapeake Bay and Hampton Roads – the natural roadstead at the confluence of the Elizabeth, the Nansemond and the James rivers. Completely surrounded by a moat, the six-sided stone fort is the only remaining fort in the United States still active as an Army post – though it is now scheduled for decommissioning. [Wikipedia]

1935 Charles L. Cooke Memorial Library, Hollins College, Virginia

[LIB1774] [Website]

Hollins College: An Illustrated History

1910 Goodrich Library, Newport, Vermont

[LIB1773]

1906 Kellogg Hubbard Library, Montpelier, Vermont

[LIB1772] Of special interest: The friezes of the Bittermann Kitzmiller Room in the Kellogg-Hubbard Library are remnants not only of Ancient Greece and Renaissance Italy, but also of the Library's own history. [Read more here]

Public Library, Oshkosh, Wisconsin

[LIB1771] A free public library for Oshkosh was approved by a referendum on May 29, 1895 and opened in a room in City Hall on April 1, 1896. A permanent and fitting home was to be built with a combination of private and public funds. [Read more at this library's informative site, with many pictures!]

Video: An Architectural History of Newburgh, New York

Not exactly library but nice video.

Library, Franklin & Marshall College, Lancaster, Pennsylvania

[LIB1770]

1906 Town Hall and Library, Chelsea, Vermont

[LIB1769]

1908 Carnegie Library, Greenville, Ohio

[LIB1768] 1901 A commission sought aid from Mr. Andrew Carnegie. Mr. Carnegie furnished $15,000 for building construction if the city would provide the site and a minimum $2,000 per year for up keep. An additional $10,000 was requested from Mr. Carnegie. The architect was W.S. Kaugman from Richmond, Indiana. Mr. Dennis Dwyer was the contractor. [Read more here]

1948 Carnegie Public Library, Muncie, Indiana

[LIB1743] The Local History & Genealogy collection is located in downtown Muncie inside Carnegie Library at 301 East Jackson Street. Our friendly and knowledgeable employees are available to assist you with your historical and genealogical research. [Website]

History of Muncie: A town in Indiana up to the year 1991 and other hysterical trivia

1906 Public Library, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

[LIB1742] Postmarked from Oshkosh, Wisconsin on September 13, 1906. Addressed to Mrs. M. A. Bibby, Oshkosh.

1938 Public Library, Cheboygan, Michigan

[LIB1741] Carnegie Free Library building; the first building constructed in Cheboygan to serve specifically as a library. Steel magnate Andrew Carnegie donated $15,000 for the building in 1908, it was completed in 1913, and served as the city library until 1966. [Wikipedia]

Public Library, Waukesha, Wisconsin

[LIB1724] [Website]

1922 The C.M. Bailey Public Library, Winthrop, Maine

[LIB1723] In November of 1916, Charles M. Bailey entered into an agreement with the Town of Winthrop to give a building to be used for library and Reading Room purposes. Charles M. Bailey was the best known member of the Society of Friends in Winthrop, and was known for his “Bailey’s Praying Band”, who conducted evangelistic services. Bailey also owned one of the largest oilcloth manufacturers in America at the time, and employed two hundred individuals in Winthrop in the early 1900s. The original structure of rock faced and chiseled granite is still in use today. [Website]

Carnegie Library, Washington, DC

[LIB1708] An ornate white marble structure, given to Washington by Andrew Carnegie.

1938 Public Library, Nappanee, Indiana

[LIB1707] [Website]

Gregg M. Sinclair Library, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii

[LIB1706] When the Gregg M. Sinclair Library opened its doors in 1956, it was one of the largest open-stack university libraries in the United States. The library, designed by Lemmon, Freeth & Haines, which has since evolved into the present Architects Hawaii, was dedicated to former university president Gregg M. Sinclair (1942-1955) on May 4, 1956. [From the website]

Bradley Memorial Library, Columbus, Georgia

[LIB1705] Built on the spacious estate of its namesake, the late W.C. Bradley, and dedicated in 1950. [From the back of the card]

About the current Columbus Public Library

The Columbus Public Library opened January 2005 with much fanfare. Designed by world renown architectural firm Robert A. M. Stern, Associates, the two and a half story building is 100,000 square feet in size. The first floor is dedicated to children's and teens services, best selling books and new releases, and meeting rooms. On the first floor are the Aflac Children's Room and the Aflac Children's Story Room.

The second floor houses the adult circulation materials, the Genealogy and Local History Department and the W. C. Bradley Memorial Reading Room (Reference Department). [Website]

Public Library, Hartford, Connecticut

[LIB1704] Special Collection: The Hartford Collection, housed in the Hartford History Center, is a noncirculating, multi-media collection comprised of more than 50,000 books, trade publications, directories, postcards, photographs and memorabilia that convey community life in Hartford spanning nearly 300 years. [Website]

The Harvey S. Firestone Memorial Library, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey

[LIB1682] The six-story $6,000,000 Harvey S. Firestone Memorial Library of Princeton University, Completed in 1949, provides not only adequate storage space for books and appropriate exhibition rooms for literary treasures, but also, through arrangement of study spaces and faculty offices, brings together in one place the three elements of an education: teacher, student and books.

Main Reading Room, The Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

[LIB1681] This historic room is, through its catalogs, the primary entrance into the Library's research collections, and the principal reading room for work in the humanities and social sciences. Every day, hundreds of books and bound periodical volumes are delivered from the stacks for use in the Main Reading Room. [Website]

Public Library, Ridgefield, Connecticut

[LIB1680] Built in 1901 in memory of Mrs. E. W. Morris. [From the back of the card]

The History of Ridgefield Connecticut

Mr. Morris contracted with architect Raleigh Gildersleeve of Fifth Avenue, New York, to
design a library building. The original interior contained features typical of public libraries at
the time, including skylight, a translucent glass floor to let light into the lower level and a
circular iron stairway. Mr. Gildersleeve also designed the Roma Pizza building on Main
Street, Ridgefield and several eating clubs at Princeton University. [Read more here]

1909 William Fogg Library, Eliot, Maine

[LIB1679] The William Fogg Library was established in 1907 for the residents of Eliot by a trust from Dr. John S. H. Fogg in memory of his father, William Fogg. At that time few public libraries existed in southern Maine.

Dedicated on May 21, 1907, the library was designed by Boston architect C. Howard Walker and constructed using fieldstone from the stone walls that bordered William Fogg’s property. [Read more at the William Fogg Library website]

Packard Public Library, Salt Lake City, Utah

[LIB1678] Thanks to a donation of land and money by a John Quackenbos Packard in 1905, a new library was built in downtown Salt Lake City; the building is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This library remained in use until it outgrew the building in the early 1960s. [Wikipedia]

1948 Public Library, Pottsville, Pennsylvania

[LIB1677] Pottsville's present public library is partly a private triumph. The land on which it stands and more than half of its construction cost of $100,000 were gifts from Arthur, Henry W. and Louise Sheafer, members of a wealthy Pottsville family whose fortune had been made in coal and iron. [Read more]

1905 Adriance Memorial Library, Poughkeepsie, New York

[LIB1660] The Adriance Memorial Library, named after a family who provided funding for the construction of its building in 1897, is the oldest tax-supported library in New York State and the third oldest in the United States, dating back to 1839 at various locations prior to the construction of the current building. The building, which was expanded in 1922, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.[Wikipedia]

Public Library, Sargentville, Maine

[LIB1658] The Sargentville Library holds a unique collection of new and old titles, classics, biographies, and U.S. and world history. The library also also has a number of interesting titles on Maine, along with some history on Sargentville, its local families and surrounding areas.[Website]

1919 Public Library and Baptist Church, Exeter, New Hampshire

[LIB1657] History of the town of Exeter, New Hampshire

1910 Public Library, Exeter, New Hampshire

[LIB1656]