Lovejoy Library. Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville, Illinois

[LIB9968]

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]

1909 Public Library, Edwardsville, Illinois

[LIB1167]

In 1903 Edwardsville resident Charles Boeschenstein, the publisher of the Intelligencer and a former mayor, wrote Andrew Carnegie to request funds to erect a library building. Through Boeschenstein's efforts, Edwardsville received $12,500 for the construction of a permanent home for the public library. The city of Edwardsville complimented Carnegie's offer by donating a parcel of land in the city park for the library to occupy.
Work began in 1904, and the building was dedicated on June 28, 1906. At that time a library membership cost 10 cents per month, which allowed access to a collection of roughly 500 books. To support the continued operation of the library, patrons hosted several community events and fund-raisers, such as concerts and card games. [From the website]

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