City Library, Concord, New Hampshire

[LIB7637] The establishment of the Concord Public Library was authorized by a city ordinance passed in 1855. The library opened two years later on the second floor of the current Merrimack County Court House, and it moved twice more before opening at the current location in 1940.  For a detailed history of the library, please see Celebrating 150 Years of Service : Concord Public Library (1855 – 2005) by Virginia Babzcak

1956 Simmons Memorial Library, Kenosha, Wisconsin

[LIB7636] In 1899 Zalmon Simmons announced that he would offer to construct a library
building in Central Park if it will be named in honor of his late son, Gilbert.
Zalmon also paid for the building of the soldier’s monument that today stands
in Library Park.

In 1900 The Gilbert M. Simmons Library and the soldier’s monument were dedicated
on May 30th. Construction of the library cost $150,000 and a patron named
Cyril Kupfer checked out the first book in July. [Website]

Library, Quinnipiac College, Hamden, Connecticut

[LIB7635] The library is named for Arnold Bernhard, the founder and former chief executive officer of Value Line, Inc., the world's largest investment advisory service. Bernhard's son, A. Van H. Bernhard of Southport, made the library renovation project possible by donating $1 million for the library project and an additional $3 million for the University's endowment in 1997. The donation was the largest in University history. [Website]

1947 Public Library, Fair Haven, Vermont

[LIB7634] Original building still in use as a library. 

The Fair Haven Public Library, established in 1887, owes its existence to the suggestion and influence of Mr. Moses Coit, a non-resident greatly interested in the establishment of libraries. The persistent efforts of Hon. A.N. Adams, and the earnest advocacy of Prof. Walter E. Howard, who notwithstanding much opposition obtained an appropriation of $1,000 from the town for its establishment and support. Since then a sum averaging $600 has been voted annually. In 1894 a reading room supplied with periodicals through private yearly subscriptions was added to the library, increasing its influence. The interest of the readers continues to increase from year to year, over 700 more books having been drawn out in 1897 than in 1896. Librarian Elizabeth Perkins. [Board of Library Commissioners of Vermont, 1895-1896. Published 1896. Available through Google Books]

Public Library, Oskaloosa, Iowa

[LIB7633] The Oskaloosa Public Library opened its doors in 1903. The Oskaloosa Women's Club spearheaded the drive to create a public library for the community. The Carnegie Foundation donated $20,000 for the library's construction, and the library's first book collection came from the YMCA library (which had had a members-only library).

In 1997, an addition to the library building doubled its space. Many new patrons do not realize there was an addition because both the interior and exterior colors, woodwork and bricks match the original building's early 20th century look.  The library also features a centennial time capsule that was sealed in September 2003 and will not be opened until Sept. 14, 2103. [Website]

Mills Memorial Library, Rollins College, Winter Park, Florida

[LIB7614] The second dedicated library building on campus, Mills Memorial Library was built between 1949 and 1951.

Costing over $500,000, the building was almost 30,000 square feet and had a capacity for over 150,000 volumes. It featured a periodicals lounge, microfilm room, reserves reading room, large reference area, photo lab, and projection room.

The Mills building served as the Rollins library and Archives department until the early 80's, when the new Olin Library was constructed. [Website]

1906 Public Library, Berlin, New Hampshire

[LIB7613] Website

1909 Public Library, Waukegan, Illinois

[LIB7612] In 1899, Mr. Oliver Lincoln willed property on Washington Street at Sheridan Road to the city to be used as a park. In 1901, the Lincoln heirs provided a conveyance granting the city the right to erect “upon said remised a library building or buildings.” A Board member of the then-existing Library Association appealed to Mr. Andrew Carnegie for funds. Mr. Carnegie responded with $25,000.00 “if the city of Waukegan would furnish a suitable site and through Council agree to $2,500.00 a year support of said library.” The proposal was accepted and a stone building of Ionian Greek style architecture was constructed. This building served the community as a library for sixty-two years. [Website]

1910 Hills Memorial Library, Hudson, New Hampshire

[LIB7611] Card sent to Mrs. S. F. Wilkins, Westbrook, Maine

Library, Windham, Connecticut

[LIB7520] Connecticut’s smallest freestanding library established in 1897. The Windham Free Library had its beginnings in 1896, organized by a small number of citizens as a non-profit association library. The library is housed in a historical building, which was built in 1832 as a bank. In 1879 the Windham Bank moved its operations to Willimantic leaving the building here in Windham Center vacant. When Windham celebrated its Bi-centennial in 1892, the building, still vacant, was converted into a museum for the occasion. [Website]

1954 Public Library, Needham, Massachusetts

Needham, Massachusetts

[LIB7518] Website

Library, Austin, Minnesota

[LIB7661] The Austin Public Library opened its doors in 1884 in the basement of the Mower County Courthouse. In 1904, the library moved to the newly-constructed Carnegie building at 201 2nd St. NW. The present building at 323 4th Ave. NE was completed in 1996. Today this beautiful Prairie-style facility houses over 100,000 volumes and serves the surrounding city and Mower county area of approximately 30,000 residents. [Website]

The original Carnegie library was razed in 1996 and is now a parking lot. For more on the history of the original library, click here.

1914 Dorcas Carey Public Library, Carey, Ohio

[LIB7617] To provide a site for the building, Mr. Edwin Brown donated $5,000.00 of which $2,000.00 was used to pay for the site and the remainder used toward furnishings and books.  The village had agreed to pay $800.00 or 10% of the Carnegie gift for yearly maintenance of the building and the cost of a librarian and janitor service.  The library was named Dorcas Carey Public Library after Mr. Brown's wife's mother, Dorcas, who was the wife of the honorable John Carey, founder of Carey.

The construction of the building was completed in 1906.  The dedication ceremony was held at Snyder's Opera House on October 19, 1906.  Miss Mable Newhard was the first librarian. [Website]

The original building is still in use as a library.

1906 Gail Borden Public Library, Elgin, Illinois

[LIB7616] Gail Borden was not a woman despite the spelling of his first name. He never lived in Elgin, and he never donated funds for the library which bears his name. How his name became attached to our library is as fascinating and complex as the man himself. Now, who would not want to read more? You can, just click here!

1913 Library, Muscatine, Iowa

[LIB7615] On June 4, 1900, P. M. Musser announced, through the president of the board, that he would provide the community with it’s first library building, if Muscatine citizens would designate funds for its continuing support. Plans were prepared for a two story portage red sandstone exterior and tile roof. Citizens voted 1,285 to 11 for a proposed one-mill tax levy to support and establish the library.

The original Musser gift was to be $25,000 to $30,000. However, with the donation of the land and building expenses, the gift probably totaled closer to $50,000. The cornerstone of the building was set May 6, 1901. On February 19, 1902 the new P. M. Musser Public Library was opened. [Website]

Library, University of California, Santa Cruz, California

[LIB7614] McHenry Library was recently reopened after an addition, remodel and earthquake retrofit of the original building. It is located in the center of campus on Steinhart Road and houses collections in the Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences. [Website]

Sterling Memorial Library, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut

[LIB7612] The Library contains a large and unique collection of rare medical books, medical journals to 1920, pamphlets, prints, and photographs, as well as current works on the history of medicine. The library was founded in 1940 by the donations of the extensive collections of Harvey Cushing, John F. Fulton, and Arnold C. Klebs. Special strengths are the works of Hippocrates, Galen, Vesalius, Boyle, Harvey, and S. Weir Mitchell, and works on anesthesia, and smallpox inoculation and vaccination. The Library owns over 300 medical incunabula. [Website]