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]