Denver, COVisit the Library and Archives As supervisor of the Decker Branch Library, I take pride in sharing the fascinating history of the building. Lucky for me, visitors regularly come to experience an original Carnegie Library. They’re not hard to spot, typically walking in slowly, marveling at the original murals, the cozy fireplace, or the…
Dillon, MTVisit the Library and Archives I have been going to the Dillon Public Library for over 50 years. The Dillon Public Library was the first Carnegie Library to open in Montana. The doors opened December 27, 1902. Mary Hooker was the founder of the first library in Dillon. She moved to the Dillon area…
Converse, INVisit the Library and Archives I am the director of our small local Carnegie Library. I have been in this position for ten years now and can honestly say that it has shaped and changed my life. I have enjoyed so many different aspects of my job at the library. At times, it seems…
Missoula, MTVisit the Library and Archives A women’s club founded the Missoula library, which grew out of an 1882 ladies’ reading group. By 1894, the city library had 500 volumes and had secured public tax support. Six years later, Missoula residents had access to almost 5,000 books from the library’s rented downtown rooms. In 1903,…
Ridley Park, PAVisit the Library and Archives My mom, Martha (a.k.a. Marty), worked at the Ridley Park Public Library in the late ’60s and early ’70s. A mother of six, she was thrilled when she got a part-time position in the children’s library on the ground floor. She led story hour for a time, reading…
Cincinnati, OHVisit the Library and Archives During high school, I worked as a student assistant at the Avondale Library. While there, I discovered Audubon’s The Birds of North America. I wondered if it was part of the original collection bought when the library opened in 1913. Librarian Miss Thelma Morris allowed her student assistants to…
Jeffersonville, INVisit the Library and Archives Credit: Brent Moore, CC BY-NC 2.0 I’m a writer and retired professor, and the Warder Park location of JTPL was where my little sister and I got our first-ever library cards when we were very young (1967, I think). I’m pretty sure it’s where our father got his first…
Eatonton, GAVisit the Library and Archives Built in 1915 and opened in January 1916, the original one-room Classical Revival–style Carnegie Library in Eatonton features a dedicated “Carnegie Room” for its youngest patrons, offering computers, books, and a children’s reading area. A 2020 renovation of this section restored the original hardwood shelves, floors, ceiling, and window…
Norfolk, VAVisit the Library and Archives This was the very first Carnegie Library I visited on a 35,000-mile drive through 48 states to visit over 400 Carnegie Libraries in 2024. So I hold it dear in my memory! This story was submitted by a Carnegie Library fan. Got a story? Share it here. Mark Carl…
Rockingham, VTVisit the Library and Archives A beautiful, soft, chiming library clock was donated by our local women’s club in 1909. We recently restored and rededicated it. It is much loved by staff and patrons alike. This story was submitted by a Carnegie Library fan. Got a story? Share it here. Eileen C. Share Your…