In honor of the 150th Anniversary of the Carbondale Public Library, here is a preview of the history that will appear in the library’s anniversary booklet as written by Jessica Pratt, our Adult Services Librarian.
The History of the Oldest Library in Lackawanna County
In the winter of 1872-1873, E. Francis, principal of the local schools, helped to organize a course of public lectures in an effort to bring educational entertainment to the growing city of Carbondale. The lecture series proved an enormous success in the city and a small balance was left over afterwards. E. Francis offered to donate this sum towards starting a public library or reading room in the city.
December of 1872 also saw the formation of the Dickens Literary Association in Carbondale. The group would meet for many years, including in the library, to discuss and debate a variety of subjects. The association, of whom Francis was a member, was initially interested in securing a library for its members but, though many active members and prominent citizens took an interest in the proposal, it struggled to materialize.
Eventually, a meeting was held at Trinity Church to discuss the future of the library. During the discussion, it was announced that J.B. Van Bergen, then Mayor of Carbondale, had offered $100 as subscription to the library fund on the condition other subscriptions amounting to $1,000 could be raised. Stimulated by this proposal, the idea of a library for the Dickens Literary Association was abandoned in favor of a public library. A committee was formed to raise the money and, in less than one week, more than $1,400 was raised.
A meeting of subscribers was held on March 2, 1874 to form a temporary organization and to appoint committee members to draft a constitution and by-laws. The naming of the new library came up for consideration and the title of “The Young Men’s Library Association of Carbondale” was chosen. A room in the Delaware and Hudson Company office, next to what is now Nikki’s at the Ben-Mar Restaurant, was reserved for the new library and over 600 volumes were purchased. Edward A. Wheeler, a clerk in the D&H office building, was appointed librarian and his brother, John F. Wheeler, assistant librarian.
Upon preparation of the room and the purchase of the books, the library held a formal reception on Friday, May 8, 1874. The library officially opened for business the next day. A formal Charter would be filed a year later on January 26, 1875.
For many years, the small library was only open to the public on Saturdays. There was also a yearly fee to be a member: $3.00 for gentlemen and $1.50 for ladies. This was soon changed to $2.00 annually regardless of gender. In addition to membership fees and donations, a series of lectures was also held each year to help support the library.
Almost from the beginning, the need to expand the library was discussed but it would take 22 years for this to happen. In 1895, the Young Men’s Library Association made a proposition to the City of Carbondale offering to make the library a free library for the use of the people of the city under certain conditions. The city was to provide new, furnished room(s) for the library with heat, lights, and janitorial services. In addition, the city was to make a yearly appropriation of $400 to cover salaries and fees. The city provided the library with a single, furnished room located on the southeast corner of the ground floor of City Hall which opened to the public on March 2, 1896.
The appetites for new books in the City of Carbondale were voracious. In the 1899 librarian’s report, W.L. Yarrington submitted that circulation was down due in part to more than 200 volumes being withdrawn from the collection due to being worn out and in part because “many patrons of the library, having read all the readable numbers in the collection, have ceased to be patrons.” Indeed, complaints in the newspapers during the next couple of decades teetered between the library needing more books and the library needing more space. There were even calls to obtain a Carnegie Library for Carbondale. Not only did Carbondale not receive a Carnegie building, but it wouldn’t receive an expansion until 1935. An additional, smaller room was opened in City Hall for library use. 1932 saw one of the lowest points in the history of the library. The only income listed was $2.32. Nothing was spent and the librarian, Grace Copeland, went a year without a salary (though she was reimbursed the following year.) However, after the hiring of Mrs. Maude D. Johnson, who was formerly head of the circulation department of the Library of Congress, the expansion of the building, and more funding, opinions of the library began to look more favorable.
In 1953, the decision was made by the board to lower the age of borrowers from 13 years to seven. This greatly increased the number of library cards being issued as well as book circulations. In 1954, a contest was held to name the library’s new youth department. Mary Teresa Sachele, a 2nd grader at St. Rose School, won the contest with the succinct title “Pre-Teen”.
In 1964, circumstances were finally right for the library to begin taking steps to acquire its own building. Library board president, Frank Kelly – former mayor of Carbondale – made a phone call to the Hillman Land Co. and asked if they would consider donating the former Bell Telephone Company building, located on 6th Avenue, to the library. At the same time, Mr. and Mrs. Paul Hiller, son and daughter-in-law of the late Nicolai Hiller who was a former board president and longtime benefactor, notified the library that it would receive a gift of $15,000 to be paid over a five-year period. However, the building and the generous gift depended on whether the library could qualify for state aid which would be necessary for operating a library on a much larger scale than the two rooms it currently occupied. It would also require a renovation of the building costing an additional $20,000.
In September 1964, the Board of Directors formally accepted the 6th Avenue building after Mr. Joseph Myers of the State Library approved the building for use as a library. State Aid was also approved with the first payment in 1965. In the Spring of 1965, plans were made to hold a fund drive to raise the additional money needed to renovate the building. The community came through and, while the fund drive was taking place, clubs, organizations, and groups of young people held various fundraisers for the library. Through the public’s help, the Fund Drive netted an additional $10,000.
After much work, the Carbondale Public Library opened its new doors on May 19, 1966 and was formally dedicated on June 8, 1966. The new building allowed for the growth of library services. The reference section was greatly expanded, more table space was created, and its hours opened to the public increased. The second floor had a much-expanded children’s department. There was room for exhibits and displays. The library could also offer a variety of programs and clubs for all ages. It was spacious with much room to grow the library’s collections. Miss Anne Muldoon, head librarian, took care of the affairs of the main floor while Mrs. Romaine Prince, children’s librarian, could be found upstairs conducting story hours on Saturdays, managing Summer Reading Clubs, and caring for the youth collections.
In the early 1980s, budget cuts were impacting many libraries in the region including Carbondale. Through an initiative by a group of concerned citizens and county commissioners, Charles Luger and Robert Pettinato, a referendum was put on the November 1982 ballot calling for a county-wide library system and dedicated library tax. The referendum just barely passed and in January 1983, the Lackawanna County Library System was formed consisting of the Scranton libraries, Carbondale Public Library, Abington Community Library, Dalton Community Library, and Taylor Community Library.
The improvement of library services and growth in circulation meant that, by the 1990s, the library had already outgrown the building on 6th Avenue. The design and arrangement of the building made handicap accessibility a challenge. The lack of parking, particularly for library programs, was also an issue. Renovation of the library building was first considered but, while the proposed renovations would have made the library more accessible, it would not have increased its square footage. With staff working at study tables and an ever-increasing circulation of materials, consultants recommended a brand-new building.
In 1993, the library and Carbondale City Hall came to an agreement to allow the library to build on a lot between City Hall and the Adams Cable Building. In exchange, the library would transfer the deed to the existing building to the city and the funding would be pursued to both build the library and renovate City Hall. A groundbreaking ceremony was held on July 7, 1995 and construction began soon after on the $1.2 million dollar project. All during this time as well as during construction, the library worked tirelessly to obtain funding through federal, state, county, and city recourses as well as holding fund drives and fundraising programs.
On Sunday, October 27, 1996, the new Carbondale Public Library opened in a grand ceremony. A week before it opened, volunteers moved books and equipment by hand across Memorial Park to the new facility which ended up being about 8,300 sq. ft. which was twice the size of the former location. The new building included a spacious main room consisting of new releases, recent fiction and nonfiction books, reference, videos, magazines, and books and music on cassette. Also on the first floor was a dedicated staff room and office. The second floor held older fiction and nonfiction books, a children’s room, and a community room overlooking the Lackawanna River. In addition, the library would soon be offering a new service to the community – public access to the Internet. Despite reservations and funding difficulties, the new library was a huge success in the community.
In 2006, the library added the Medal of Honor seating area to the first floor. The idea was to make the front of the entrance more inviting as well as to honor two local Medal of Honor recipients – Capt. Patrick Delacy and Lt. Joseph Sarnoski.
Recently, as the library’s focus on youth services has grown, the second floor has been completely renovated to be dedicated entirely to children and young adults. Included in this is a new Family Place Room which is designed specifically for families with children ages birth to three years. Additionally, the library has been redesigning its outdoor space into a beautiful, pollinator-friendly garden.
At 150 years old, the Carbondale Public Library is the oldest public library in Lackawanna County but that is not slowing it down. The library is a resource for all ages in our community whether they seek knowledge, entertainment, or social interaction. We do not know what the next 150 years will bring but the library will continue to do what it can to fulfill the growing needs of its community.
