The Carnegie Free Public Library of Georgetown, Guyana

On May 15, 1906, businessman and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie granted $10,400 (equivalent to £7,000 at the time) to Georgetown, Guyana for the construction of a public library. Construction of the library began in the spring of 1908. 

The Carnegie Free Public Library of Georgetown opened for service in September 1909. Emily Murray was its first library director, leading the institution from 1909 until 1940.

The library expanded its outreach beginning with the Rural Library Service in 1950; library services to prisons in 1966; mobile library service in 1970; service as the nation's copyright library in 1972; computer services in 1993; and internet services in 2002. 

The Carnegie Free Public Library of Georgetown is now the National Library of Guyana. The Publication and Newspapers Act of 1972 enabled the former Carnegie Library to function as the nation's national library. The National Library of Guyana has branches in Bagotville, Corriverton, Linden, New Amsterdam, and Ruimveldt.

The library celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2009.

Sources:  Stephenson, Yvonne V. "Guyana." World Encyclopedia of Libraries and Information Services. Ed. Robert Wedgeworth. Chicago: ALA Editions, 1993. 332-333.; Allicock, Dmitri. "The 1909 National Library of Guyana." Oh, Beautiful Guyana. 6 May 2014. Web. 27 May 2023.; Mattar, Carol. "Guyanan Studies Local Public Library." Journal Herald (Dayon, Ohio) 21 June 1974: 31.; Caribbean Libraries in the 21st Century: Changes, Challenges, and Choices. Ed. Cheryl Peltier-Davis and Shamin Renwick. Medford, New Jersey: Information Today, Inc., 2007. 183.; Persaud, Petamber. "The Andrew Carnegie Vision: Still Alive 108 Years Later." Guyana Times International, Inc. 22 Sept. 2017. Web. 27 May 2023.; "The National Library,1909-2009." Guyana Chronicle. 6 Sept. 2009. Web. 27 May 2023.

Educators and Libraries: Isaac Fisher (1877-1957)

Isaac Fisher (1877-1957), a native of East Carroll Parish, Louisiana and the son of former slaves, was the valedictorian of Tuskegee Institute's (Tuskegee University) graduating class of 1898. Fisher was also the first African American to receive a Guggenheim Fellowship. He was awarded the fellowship in 1926.

In addition to being a Guggenheim Fellow, Fisher was an educator, speaker, writer, editor, and conference organizer. He was often called upon to deliver speeches and keynote addresses at graduations, programs, conventions, and other events. Some of Fisher's speeches include:

• "Will America Absorb the Negro?" -- Delivered in Vicksburg, Mississippi in 1893 to raise money for the train fare he needed to travel to Tuskegee, Alabama to attend Tuskegee Institute (Tuskegee University).
•  "Has the Negro Kept Faith?" -- Delivered at the 1910 centennial celebration of the life of abolitionist Theodore Parker.
• "The Unfinished Task." Delivered in Indianapolis, Indiana in 1934 at Crispus Attucks High School.

Fisher served as editor of The Southern Workman (published by Hampton Institute (now Hampton University)), The Fisk University News (published by Fisk University), and The Negro Farmer (published by Tuskegee Institute). In addition, Fisher once served as Tuskegee Institute's official news correspondent and had the honor of interviewing George Washington Carver (ca. 1864?-1943), a professor of agriculture at the institute and the 1923 winner of the Spingarn Medal.

As an educator, Fisher taught at the Schofield School in Aiken, South Carolina; served as principal of the Swayne Public School in Montgomery, Alabama; was principal of the Branch Normal College (University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff) in Pine Bluff, Arkansas; taught journalism and argumentation (debate) at Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee; and headed the Department of Research and Publications at Florida A & M College (Florida A & M University) in Tallahassee, Florida.

His connection with libraries:

• While a student at Tuskegee Institute, Isaac Fisher built his own private library with the assistance of Margaret Murray Washington (1865-1925) the wife of Tuskegee Institute founder Booker T. Washington (1856-1915).

• In 1904, seeking to improve access to books and other information sources for students at Branch Normal College, Isaac Fisher made a request to Andrew Carnegie for funds to build a library for the college. However, Fisher's request was denied.  The reason given: "not a good business investment to give a library to a school which constructed only three buildings -- a classroom building, a girls' dormitory, and an industrial shop -- in twenty-nine years" (from page 1 of the Wednesday, June 6, 1906 issue of the Pine Bluff Daily Graphic, a local newspaper).

• On Friday, June 1, 1934, Isaac Fisher gave his speech "The Unfinished Task" at the graduation ceremony for Crispus Attucks High School, a high school for African Americans in Indianapolis, Indiana (the school is now integrated).  Housed inside the high school was the Crispus Attucks Branch of the Indianapolis Public Library, one of three library branches located in predominately African American neighborhoods in Indianapolis. The Crispus Attucks Branch Library was in operation from 1927-1959.

Fisher passed away on Friday, August 23, 1957 in Minnesota.

Sources: "200 Attucks Graduates in Commencement Exercises ; Prof. Isaac Fisher Speaks." Indianapolis Recorder (Indianapolis, Ind.) 2 June 1934: 1, 3. Print. ; "Attucks Class Gets Diplomas: Need of Providing for Material Things Stressed by Virginian." Indianapolis Star (Indianapolis, Ind.) 2 June 1934: 12. Print. ; "Branch Normal: Closing Exercises of State Colored School One of Greatest Successes in History of the Institution --- The Great Work Accomplished by Principal Isaac Fisher." Pine Bluff Daily Graphic (Pine Bluff, Ark.) 6 June 1906: 1. Print. ; "Isaac Fisher Again Winner: Colored Man Awarded Prize in Magazine Contest : Nine Thousand Competed." Indianapolis Recorder (Indianapolis, Ind.) 19 Sept. 1914: 1, 4. Print. ; "Mr. Fisher Wins Again" The Advocate (Charleston, W. Va.) 24 Feb. 1910: 3. Print. ; "Changes Made at Hampton." The Pittsburgh Courier (Pittsburgh, Pa.) 7 July 1934: 11. Print. ; "Hamptonians in N.Y. Hear Isaac Fisher on Gen. Armstrong: Founder's Day Program Draws Large Audience in Harlem." New York Age (New York, N.Y.) 2 Feb. 1935: 2. Print. ; "Hampton Commencement." New York Age (New York, N.Y.) 7 June 1917: 7. Print. ; "Moton Sketches Progress of Negroes on Ever of Tuskegee Anniversary." The Montgomery Advertiser (Montgomery, Ala.) 12 Apr. 1931: 10. Print. ; "Fisher Hits 'Making the News'; Press Friendly, Cooperative When Program is Genuine." Indianapolis Recorder (Indianapolis, Ind.) 21 Aug. 1937: 13. Print. ; "Fisher Writes Moving Picture Drama." Indianapolis Recorder (Indianapolis, Ind.) 16 Oct. 1915: 4. Print. "Commencement Programs Announced by Manual, Broad Ripple, and Attucks." Indianapolis Star (Indianapolis, Ind.) 29 May 1934: 6. Print. ; Wheeler, Elizabeth L. "Isaac Fisher: The Frustrations of a Negro Educator at Branch Normal College, 1902-1911." The Arkansas Historical Quarterly 41.1 (Spring 1982): 3-50. Print. 

The Carnegie Library Roseau (Roseau, Dominica)

In 1904, Sir Henry Hesketh Bell (1864-1952) reached out to philanthropist Andrew Carnegie (1835-1919)  in an effort to persuade him to give a grant for the construction of a public library on the Caribbean island of Dominica. Carnegie agreed to provide the grant and in 1905 gave £1,500 for the library's construction. The city of Roseau, the capital of Dominica, was chosen as the library's location. The architecture of the library was managed by Bell and on May 11, 1907 the library was opened to the public. 

Before the building of the Carnegie Library in Roseau,  there were earlier efforts to bring library services to the island of Dominica. In 1821, Dr. Jean Baptiste Louis founded the Literacy Society. Seven years later,  the Roseau Juvenile Literacy Association was established. Other efforts included:

The Dominica Public Circulating Library  (1832).
The Dominica Reading Room and Library (1847).
The Young Men's Literary Association (1849).

The library is still in operation and is now known as the Roseau Public Library. In December 2015, a tribute to the Roseau Public Library was posted to YouTube:

A Tribute to Roseau Public Library

Update 2/07/2016:

See also:  The Carnegie Free Library of Barbados (Bridgetown, Barbados), the Carnegie Free Library of St. Lucia (Castries, St. Lucia), and the Carnegie Free Library of San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago (San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago).


Sources: Boromé, Joseph A. "Origin and Growth of the Public Libraries of Dominica." Journal of Library History 5.3 (1970): 200-236. Print. ; Jordan, Alma. "Public Libraries in the British Caribbean 1." The Library Quarterly 35.2 (1964): 143-162. Print.  ; Hinds, Beverly. Historical Overview of Public Library Development in the English-Speaking Caribbean. [San Juan, PR]: IFLA, 2011. 1, 3-4, 6, 8. PDF File. ; Whitford, Gwenith M. "West Indian Murder Mystery Donated to Roseau Public Library in Dominica." Ti Domnik Tales. 23 July 2012. Web. 30 Jan. 2016. ; "State of the Art Library for Dominica." Dominica News Online. 14 May 2013. Web. 30 Jan. 2016. ; "Carnegie Library, Roseau, Dominica." Waymarking.com. 31 Aug. 2008. Web. 30 Jan. 2016; "A Tribute to Roseau Public Library." Dominica Library and Information Service. YouTube. 02 Dec. 2015. Web. 30 Jan. 2016. ; "Cambridge University Library: Royal Commonwealth Society Library, Sir Henry Hesketh Bell Collection, Y3011C-N." Cambridge University Library. Janus, n.d. Web. 30 Jan. 2016. ; "Andrew Carnegie." Biography.com. A&E Television Networks, LLC, 2016. Web. 30 Jan. 2016.

The Carnegie Free Library of St. Lucia (Castries, St. Lucia)

Located in Castries, St. Lucia, the Carnegie Free Library of St. Lucia was one of six libraries in the Caribbean built with Carnegie funds. Plans for a library in St. Lucia were discussed in 1909. Seven years later, in May 1916, philanthropist and businessman Andrew Carnegie donated  £2,500 (equivalent to $12,500 in U.S. currency at that time) for the library's construction. Land on which to build the library was purchased for £500 (at that time was about $2,500 in U.S. currency).

Construction of the library didn't began until May 1923 . The delay was due to disagreement between town officials on the library's location and the library's design.  The Carnegie Free Library of St. Lucia's construction was finished in June 1924. A grand opening ceremony for the library was held on December 1, 1924.

In 1948, a fire spread through Castries, and the library was one of several buildings  in the town that were damaged.  Approximately, 20,000 volumes in the library's collection were destroyed. Afterwards, the Carnegie Free Library of St. Lucia was rebuilt, and in 1958, its name was changed to the Central Library of St. Lucia.

On November 25, 2014, Larry T. Nix, blogger for the "Library History Buff Blog", did a post about the St. Lucia Library's appearance on a postcard and the library's history. You can view his post here:

"St. Lucia's Carnegie Library on Carnegie's Birthday" by Larry T. Nix
http://libraryhistorybuff.blogspot.com/2014/11/st-lucias-carnegie-library-on-carnegies.html

Update 8/05/2015:

Related posts:  Carnegie Free Library of Barbados (Bridgetown, Barbados) and Carnegie Free Library of San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago.

Also, the Central Library of St. Lucia (formerly the Carnegie Free Library of St. Lucia) has a Facebook page:

Central Library of St. Lucia
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Central-Library-of-St-Lucia/131762740327635

Update 2/07/2016:

Related post: Carnegie Library Roseau (Roseau, Dominica)

Sources: Hinds, Beverly. Historical Overview of Public Library Development in the English-Speaking Caribbean. [San Juan, PR]: IFLA, 2011. 4. PDF File. ; Aimable, Anselma. "Did You Know: Controversy over Central Library." St. Lucia News Online, 28 Mar. 2014. Web. 27 July 2015. ; Nix, Larry T. "St. Lucia's Carnegie Library on Carnegie's Birthday." Library History Buff Blog, 25 Nov. 2014. Web. 27 July 2015.

Integration and the Anniston Public Library, Anniston, Alabama

The Anniston Public Library was built in 1918 with a grant of $20,000 from Andrew Carnegie on the corner of Wilmer Avenue and East 10th Street in Anniston, Alabama. The Anniston Public Library was one of 14 Carnegie libraries established in the State of Alabama. Like many libraries during the pre-Civil Rights Era, the Anniston Public Library was segregated. On Thursdays and on the first Sunday of the month, the Anniston Public Library set aside special hours for the city's African American residents to use the library.

In July 1963, a group of African Americans came to the Anniston Public Library to request library cards; however, no cards were issued because the board was waiting to receive word from city officials on whether the group's requests should be honored. In August of the same year, an African American minister by the name of Rev. Jackson came to the library and requested to view The Interpreter's Bible. The staff honored Rev. Jackson's request; however, Jackson was told that he couldn't use the book in the reading room and would have to read it in one of the offices in the library instead. Upon hearing this, Jackson decided to leave the library. These events lead the city and the library board to open the Anniston Public Library to all of  Anniston's citizens regardless of race. Sunday, September 15, 1963 was selected as the start date for integration.

On Sunday, September 15, 1963, two African American ministers came to the Anniston Public Library. The ministers, Reverend William B. McClain and Reverend Nimrod Quintus Reynolds, were members of the Anniston Human Relations Council.  The council and the library board were working together to desegregate the library. When Rev. McClain and Rev. Reynolds reached the library, a mob of angry whites attacked them (the number of persons in the mob was estimated to be around 100). The mob struck the ministers with sticks, fists, and a chain. McClain and Reynolds tried to escape by car, but were blocked in. They left the car and ran. Fortunately, a motorist saw them and picked up McClain and Reynolds, helping them to escape. The two ministers were taken to Anniston Memorial Hospital (now Regional Medical Center).

On Monday, September 16, 1963, accompanied by members of the library board, Rev. J. Phillips Noble (chair of the Anniston Human Relations Council), and officials of the city of Anniston, Rev. McClain returned to the Anniston Public Library. McClain and another African American minister, George Smitherman were issued library cards (Rev. Reynolds was still recovering from the injuries he received during the attack and was unable to participate; George Smitherman went instead). There was no violence or attempts to keep McClain and Smitherman from visiting the library.

The mayor of Anniston, the Board of the Anniston Public Library, the Rotary Club, the Anniston Star (local newspaper), and the women of Grace Episcopal Church contributed to a reward totaling $2,950 for the capture of the persons responsible for the mob attack at the library. The police arrested four men. One was found guilty; however, the case was dismissed at the request of the victims.

In 1964, the Anniston Public Library's name was changed to Public Library of Anniston-Calhoun County after merging with the Calhoun County Library. A new building, with a construction cost of $359,397.12, was planned as a replacement for the Carnegie building. Completed in 1966, the new building, funded by $59,397.12 from city; $150,00 from the estate of Luther B. Liles (Liles was once an officer in the Manganese Corporation, chairman of the Good Roads Committee of the United States Chamber of Commerce, and president of the Birmingham-Atlanta Division of the Bankhead Highway Association); and $150,000 from federal funds received by the state, opened to the public. The library is still in operation.


*Note: Sunday, September 15, 1963 was also the same day that the bombing of Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama occurred. Four children were killed: Cynthia Wesley, Denise McNair, Addie Mae Collins, and Carole Robinson. In 2013, a bill, H.R. 360, was introduced into the United States Congress to have a Congressional Gold Medal issued in honor of the memory of the four girls killed in the bombing. The bill passed both the House and the Senate, and was signed into law (Public Law 113-11) by President Barack Obama on May 24, 2013.

Update 11/03/2014:

See related posts:

The Tougaloo Nine and the Sit-in at the Jackson Mississippi Municipal Library
http://www.littleknownblacklibrarianfacts.blogspot.com/2012/02/tougaloo-nine-and-sit-in-at-jackson.html

The Robert Robinson Branch of the Alexandria Public Library (Alexandria, VA) and the 1939 Sit-Down Strike
http://www.littleknownblacklibrarianfacts.blogspot.com/2011/08/robert-robinson-branch-of-alexandria.html

Update 11/09/2014:

On YouTube, Rev. Nimrod Q. Reynolds, one of the two ministers attacked by the mob, and Charlie Doster, a member of the library board in 1963, recall the attack at the Anniston Public Library (begins at minute 13 and ends at minute 16):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdQuRWk7_C0

Sources: "Hit Clergyman with Chains in Anniston: Negro Ministers Members of Biracial Committee on Social Problems." Standard-Speaker (Hazleton, Pa.) 16 Sept. 1963: 1. Print. ; "Ministers Integrate Ala. Public Library." The Kane Republican (Kane, Pa.) 17 Sept. 1963: 1. Print. ; "Ministers Enter 'Bama! Library." The Hillsdale Daily News (Hillsdale, Mich.) 17 Sept. 1963: 1. Print. ; Cutter, Jamie Irene. Getting by at the Benjamin Mays Black Branch: Library Access for African Americans in Jim Crow South Carolina, 1940-1971. MLIS thesis. San Jose State University, 2011. 57, 120. Pdf. ; "Racial Highlights." Wellsville Daily Reporter (Wellsville, N.Y.) 16 Sept. 1963: 1. Print. ; "Attacks Charged: Two Indicted in City Cases." The Anniston Star (Anniston, Ala.) 18 Oct. 1963: 1,3.  Print. ; Chisum, James. "Conferences Delay Start of Trials; Williams Confers with Attorneys." The Anniston Star (Anniston, Ala.) 12 Nov. 1963: 1, 3. Print. ; Battles, David M. The History of Public Library Access for African Americans in the South or, Leaving Behind the Plow. Lanham: Scarecrow, 2009. 128-129. Print. ; Graham, Toby Patterson. A Right to Read: Segregation and Civil Rights in Alabama's Public Libraries, 1900-1965. Tuscaloosa: U of Alabama P, 2002. 93-96. Print. ; O'Dell, Kimberly. Anniston. Charleston, SC: Arcadia, 2002. 19, 49-50, 58, 71, 79. Print. ; "Mother Tells of Bombing: I Began to Scream..." The Fresno Bee-The Republican (Fresno, Calif.) 17 Sept. 1963: 4A. Print. ; Loh, Jules. "Bomb Shakes City to Its Core." The High Point Enterprise (High Point, N.C.) 22 Sept. 1963: 1A, 6A. Print. ; Thomas, Rex. "Birmingham Quiet but Still Nervous." The High Point Enterprise (High Point, N.C.) 22 Sept. 1963: 1A. Print. ; An Act to Award Posthumously a Congressional Gold Medal to Addie Mae Collins, Denise Mcnair, Carole Robertson, and Cynthia Wesley to Commemorate the Lives They Lost 50 Years Ago in the Bombing of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church, Where These 4 Little Black Girls' Ultimate Sacrifice Served As a Catalyst for the Civil Rights Movement. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, 2013. PDF. ; "Luther B. Liles Will Seek Vote on Bond Issue: Graves Will Be Asked to Call Special Session of Legislature." The Anniston Star (Anniston, Ala.) 8 Sept. 1930: 1, 7. Print. ; "Highway Meet Attracts 100 to Talladega: Luther B. Liles Represents Anniston Chamber of Commerce at Conference." The Anniston Star (Anniston, Ala.) 20 June 1933: 1. Print. ; McCaa, John. "Commission Adopts Operational Budget of $2,741,220: Library, Road Hike City Budget Near $3 Million Mark." The Anniston Star (Anniston, Ala.) 27 Oct. 1965: 6. Print. ; Plott, Bill. "Tribute Paid Liles at Library Opening." The Anniston Star (Anniston, Ala.) 31 Oct. 1966: 1, 7. Print. ; "Sign Tells Hopes." The Anniston Star (Anniston, Ala.) 2 June 1964: 1. Print. ; "Mayor." The Anniston Star (Anniston, Ala.) 1 Jan. 1964: 20. Print.

Carnegie Free Library of Barbados (Bridgetown, Barbados)

The Carnegie Free Library of Barbados was opened on January 26, 1906 in Bridgetown, Barbados. The library was built with a grant of £2500 (approximately $12,150) given by Andrew Carnegie to the city of Bridgetown in 1903 at the request of Governor Frederic Hodgson. It was the first Carnegie Library built outside of Great Britain and North America. The library remained in operation until August 2006 when it was closed due to structural damage and deterioration. Plans to restore the Carnegie Free Library of Barbados have been postponed due to economic and financial issues. Restore the Barbados Public Library has created a Facebook page to generate support for the library's restoration:


https://www.facebook.com/pages/Restore-the-Barbados-Public-Library/257288390990399

Sources: Hinds, Beverley. "Historicising the Carnegie Free Library: The Case of Barbados." World Libraries 18.1 (2008):n.pag. Web. 24 Feb. 2013. ; Jordan, Alma Theodora. The Development of Library Service in the West Indies through Interlibrary Cooperation. Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow, 1970. 91. Print. ; Hinds, Beverley. "Historical Overview of Public Library Development in the English-Speaking Caribbean." World Library and Information Congress, 77th IFLA General Conference and Assembly. N.p.: IFLA, 2011. 3-6. PDF file. ; Freudenthal, Juan R. "West Indies, Libraries in." Encyclopedia of Library and Information Science, Vol. 33. Ed. Allen Kent and Jay E. Daily. New York: Marcel Dekker, 1982. 39, 44, 46, 49, 61, 63, 74, 83, 90. Print.

See related posts: Carnegie Free Library of San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago;  Suva City Carnegie Library (Suva City, Fiji). ; and Carnegie Free Library of St. Lucia (Castries, St, Lucia).

Update 2/07/2016:

Related post: Carnegie Library Roseau (Roseau, Dominica)




                                                                                                                                                      

Bernice Appleton Wilder: First African American Director of the Gary Public Library (Gary, Indiana)

Bernice Appleton Wilder (1923-1988) was the first African American director of the Gary Public Library in Gary, Indiana. Ms. Wilder, a native of Missouri, was a graduate of Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Missouri, and received her library science degree from the University of Southern California. She also was a member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority. 

Ms. Wilder began her career at the Gary Public Library in 1954 at the Roosevelt Branch as the branch’s manager (now closed, the Roosevelt Branch was located at the corner of 25th and Jackson Streets --about a block and a half from the former home of the Jackson 5). In 1956, she became an assistant in the Gary Public Library's Extension Department.

After working in the extension department, Wilder worked for the Louis J. Bailey Branch*, and in 1963, was appointed Children's Librarian at the John F. Kennedy Branch (formerly the Glenn Park Branch). Nine years later, Wilder was appointed manager of the Tolleston Branch. In 1977, she became Assistant Director of the Gary Public Library's Extension Department.

In 1978, Wilder was appointed director of the Gary Public Library. It was during Ms. Wilder's tenure that the W.E.B. DuBois Branch was built and the Gary Public Library began automating some of its services. She served as director until her retirement in 1983. On May 18, 1988, Ms.Wilder passed away at the age of 64.

*Notes:  

The Louis J. Bailey Branch was named for the first director of the Gary Public Library.  Louis J. Bailey, a former employee of the the New York State Library and the Library of Congress, was a graduate of the New York State Library School (Edward Christopher Williams, the first African American male to receive a formal library science education, was a 1900 graduate of the New York State Library School). Mr. Bailey served as director of the Gary Public Library from 1908 until 1922.

The Gary Public Library was originally housed in a rented facility on 33rd West 7th Avenue before receiving a grant of $65,000 in 1910 from Andrew Carnegie for a new building at the corner of 5th Avenue and Adams Street (Carnegie's brother-in-law, Henry D. Whitfield, served as the library's architect). The Carnegie building opened in November 1912 (Father John Cavanaugh of the University of Notre Dame gave the dedication address). The Carnegie building served as the location of the main branch of the Gary Public Library until 1962 when it was razed to make way for a new facility. The Gary Public Library's new main branch was opened in 1964 on the same spot on which the Carnegie building was built 52 years earlier.

See related posts: Etka F. Braboy Gaskin and the Gary Public Library (Gary, Indiana) ; Helen Price Sawyer Braxton: Hampton Institute Library School Graduate and Librarian at Lincoln University (Jefferson City, Missouri) ;  Annette Hoage Phinazee: Dean, Professor, Author, and Librarian ; and Dhrathula Millender: Librarian, Author, and Historian - One of Indiana's Own.

Sources: Gary Public Library. ; “Missouri Girl Is Appointed Gary Librarian.” Indianapolis Recorder 6 Mar. 1954: 9. Print. ; “Personnel Appointments.” Gary Library Bulletin 12.3 (1954): 2. Print. ; “Personnel Changes.” Gary Library Bulletin 14.2 (1956): 4. Print. ; “Bernice Wilder, Past Director at Gary Library Dies at 64.” Gary Post-Tribune (Ind.) 20 May 1988: B9. Print. ; “Final Respect Paid 10th Library Director.” Gary Post-Tribune (Ind.) 26 May 1988. Highbeam Research, n.d. Web. 18 Feb. 2011. ; “Certificates Issued by the Library Certification Board – All Permanent Certificates Issued February 1 – April 30, 1961.” Library Occurrent 20.6 (1961): 176. Print. ;  “Bernice Appleton.” United States Census, 1930. FamilySearch.org, n.d. Web. 7 Jan. 2011. ; “Bernice Appleton.” United States Census, 1940. FamilySearch.org, n.d. Web. 4 Mar. 2013. ; “Bernice L. Wilder.” Social Security Death Index. FamilySearch.org, n.d. Web. 4 Mar. 2013. ; Peters, Orpha Maud. The Gary Public Library: 1907-1944. Gary: Gary Public Library, 1945. Print. ; “Roosevelt Branch Library.” Gary Library Bulletin 22.3 (1965): 2. Print. ; “History of the Alcott Branch Library.” Gary Library Bulletin 22.5 (1965): 2. Print. ; “New Library Buildings.” Library Occurrent 3.5 (1912): 93-95. Print. ;  “Bailey Honored by Librarians.” Indianapolis Star 8 Dec. 1933: 15. Print. ;  “State Library Activities Outlined by Indianan.” Indianapolis News 15 May 1929: 14. Print. ;  McPherson, Alan. Temples of Knowledge: Andrew Carnegie's Gift to Indiana. Kewanna, IN: Hoosier's Nest Press, 2003. 215, 227, 231, 234. Print.

Phyllis Wheatley Branch of the Muskogee Public Library (Muskogee, Oklahoma)

The Phyllis Wheatley Branch of the Muskogee Carnegie Library (now the Muskogee Public Library) was founded in 1913 in Muskogee, Oklahoma as the Muskogee Colored Library. The library was built through the efforts of the Frances Harper Club and served the African American residents of Muskogee. The library was housed in the Love Building until 1916 when it was moved to South 2nd Street.  In 1920, the library moved to 503 North Fourth Street (this building was also the meetinghouse for the Negro Women's Federated Club). It became a branch of  the Muskogee Carnegie Library in 1921. In 1931, the library was renamed the Phyllis Wheatley Branch. Librarians at the Phyllis Wheatley Branch included Ethel M. Tucker and Belzora A. Malvin.

In 1946, the branch moved a third time. The library's new location was 627 North Third Street (during World War II, this building was used by the United Service Organizations, Inc. (USO) -- a service organization founded in 1941 as an initiative encouraged by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to inspire morale among personnel in the armed forces). The Phyllis Wheatley Branch continued providing library services until it ceased operations in 1972. After the Phyllis Wheatley Branch closed, its materials were transferred to the newly built Muskogee Public Library. The former Phyllis Wheatley Branch  is now the Martin Luther King Community Center and in 2010 became the headquarters of the Muskogee Chapter of the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People).

*Update 01/07/2013:

Note: The Muskogee Carnegie Library opened in 1914 at 401 E. Broadway (corner of Broadway and D Streets) with a grant of $60,000 from Andrew Carnegie (his brother-in-law, Henry D. Whitfield, served as the library's architect). The Muskogee Carnegie Library remained in operation until 1972 when it was replaced with a new building, the Muskogee Public Library, at 801 W. Okmulgee Street (the new building was built with a grant of $465,000 from the Library Services and Construction Act (LSCA); the city contributed an additional $750,000). The Carnegie building is now the headquarters for the Ark of Faith Foundation, Inc. 

See related post: Judith Carter Horton and the Excelsior Library of Guthrie, Oklahoma.

*Update 04/13/2013:

The Muskogee Cimeter was a newspaper created for the African American residents of Muskogee, Oklahoma. This newspaper is briefly mentioned in a post made by Angela Y. Walton-Raji on April 9, 2013 on her blog, The African-Native American Genealogy Blog:

Old Muskogee Newspaper Reveals Indian Freedmen Population. Greater Need for Study Emerges
http://african-nativeamerican.blogspot.com/2013/04/muskogee-newspaper-reveal-indian.html


Sources: "Muskogee Public Library." OLA Celebrates the Oklahoma Centennial. Oklahoma Library Association, n.d. Web. 25 Sept. 2010. ; Totten, Herman L. "Put Sinews in the Wings of the Eagle." The Black Librarian in America. Ed. E.J. Josey. Metuchen: Scarecrow, 1977. 216-217. Print.. ; Spaulding, Cathy. "NAACP, Ministers Union Began Management of King Center." Muskogee Phoenix 20 Sept. 2010: n.pag. Web. 25 Sept. 2010. ; "Muskogee Public Library." Muskogee Public Library - Libraries on Waymarking.com. Waymarking, n.d. Web. 25 Sept. 2010. ; Robbins, Louise S. The Dismissal of Miss Ruth Brown: Civil Rights, Censorship, and the American Library. Norman: U of Oklahoma P, 2001. 39-40. Print. ;  Reports of the Oklahoma Library Commission, Sept. 15, 1919-June 30, 1920 and Survey of Public Libraries of Oklahoma. Oklahoma City: Warden Company, 1922. 12-13, 20, 28-29, 43, 69-70, 86, 96-97. Print. ; Library Services and Construction Act: A Compilation As of February 11, 1964, of the Library Services Act (p. L. 597, 84th Congress; 20 U.s.c. Chap. 16) As Amended by P. L. 896, 84th Congress; P. L. 86-679; P. L. 87-688; and P. L. 88-269; and As Renamed the Library Services and Construction Act. Washington, D.C.: U. S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, Office of Education, 1964. Print. ; Bell, Roger. Images of America: Muskogee. Charleston, S.C.: Arcadia Publishing, 2011. 60. Print. ; "Carnegie Libraries: Oklahoma's Treasures." Trustee Talk (Oklahoma Dept. of Libraries, Office of Library Development) 8 (Sept. 2004): 12. Print. ; Ark of Faith Foundation, Inc. Ark of Faith, 2012. Web. 7 Jan. 2013. ; Eastern Oklahoma District Library System - Muskogee Public Library. Muskogee Public Library, n.d. Web. 7 Jan. 2013. ; "The Circulating Library the Only One of Its Kind in the State." Muskogee Cimeter (Muskogee, Indian Territory, Oklahoma) 29 Jan. 1909:4. Print.

Lucille Smith and the Ballard Carnegie Library (Seattle, Washington)

In 1942, Lucille Smith (later Lucille Smith Thompson) became the first African American to receive an undergraduate degree in librarianship from the University of Washington in Seattle, Washington. Born in 1919 in Lewiston, Montana to Martin and Emma Riley Smith, Lucille Smith was the sister of Alma Smith Jacobs - the first African American to serve as state librarian for Montana.

While in library school, Ms. Smith became the first African American library science student to do a library practicum at the Ballard Carnegie Library in Seattle, Washington. The Ballard Carnegie Library was built with a grant of $15,000 from Andrew Carnegie and was in operation from 1904 until 1963 (it became a branch of the Seattle Public Library in 1907). George Hitchcock served as the first librarian. When the building ceased operation as a library, it became an antiques store, then later a restaurant (Kangaroo & Kiwi). The building is listed on the National Historic Register of Historic Places.

In 1945, Lucille Smith married Morrell Thompson. She later helped organize libraries in Idaho and Montana, and was a school librarian and French teacher at Browning High School in Browning, Montana. In 1964, Lucille Smith Thompson was hired as a reference librarian at Montana State University-Bozeman. In 1970, she and her sister Alma co-wrote The Negro in Montana, 1800-1945.  In 1985, Thompson retired from Montana State University-Bozeman after 21 years of service. Lucille Smith Thompson passed away on February 7, 1996 in Bozeman, Montana.

Note: Emma Riley Smith, mother of Lucille Smith Thompson and Alma Smith Jacobs, was a well-known quilter. See:

"Churchwoman: Emma Riley Smith." African American Women Confront the West: 1600 to 2000. Ed. Quintard Taylor and Shirley Ann Wilson Moore. Norman: University of Oklahoma, 2003. 132-135.Print.

Hanshew, Annie. Border to Border: Historic Quilts and Quiltmakers of Montana. Helena: Montana Historical Society Press, 2009. 116-117. Print.

*Update 12/16/2012:

The Museum of History and Industry (MOHAI) has a video on YouTube giving a brief history of the Ballard Carnegie Library:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BeX4YBMUAGg

*Update 01/07/2013:

Larry T. Nix recently added a post, "Andrew Carnegie and A Library Fire in Seattle", to his Library History Buff Blog. The Ballard Carnegie Library is briefly mentioned:

Library History Buff Blog: Andrew Carnegie and A Library Fire in Seattle (posted by Larry T. Nix on Jan. 6, 2013)
http://libraryhistorybuff.blogspot.com/2013/01/andrew-carnegie-and-library-fire-in.html


Sources: "Montana, County Marriages, 1865-1950." FamilySearch.org, n.d. Web. 19 Nov. 2012. ; "Obituaries - Lucille W. Thompson." Great Falls Tribune 10 February 1996: 2B. Print. ; "Obituaries - Lucille W. Thompson." Bozeman Daily Chronicle 8 February 1996: 6. Print. ; "United States Census, 1930." FamilySearch.org, n.d. Web. 19 Nov. 2012. ; Jordan, Casper LeRoy and E.J. Josey. "A Chronology of Events in Black Librarianship." Handbook of Black Librarianship. Ed. E.J. Josey and Marva L. DeLoach. 2nd ed. Lanham: Scarecrow, 2000. 8-9, 11. Print. ; Grant, George C. "Alma Jacobs Library Plaza, Great Falls Public Library, Great Falls Montana." In Honor of: Libraries Named for African Americans. Jonesboro: GrantHouse Publishers, 2011. 132. Print. ; Garner, Carla W. "Jacobs, Alma S. (1916-1997)." BlackPast.org. Black Past, n.d. Web. 4 Dec. 2010. ;  Wilma, David. "Ballard Branch, The Seattle Public Library." HistoryLink - The Free Online Encyclopedia of Washington State History. 5 July 2002. Web. 19 Dec. 2010. ; Henry, Mary T. "Gayton, Willetta Esther Riddle (1909-1991)."  HistoryLink - The Free Online Encyclopedia of Washington State History. 29 Apr. 2010. Web. 19 Dec. 2010. ; Bryan, Zachariah. "Finally, Ballard Carnegie Library Officially a Landmark." Ballard News-Tribune. 7 Nov. 2012: n.pag. Web. 18 Nov. 2012. ; Wilma, David. "Carnegie Free Library in Ballard Opens on June 24, 1904." HistoryLink - The Free Online Encyclopedia of Washington State History. 20 June 2002. Web. 18 Nov. 2012. ; "Kangaroo & Kiwi Eatery to Open in Old Carnegie Library." Eater.  13 Jan. 2012. Web. 18 Nov. 2012;  Rook, Anne-Marije. "The Old Carnegie Building Welcomes New Tenant: Kangaroo & Kiwi Pub to Move into Ground Floor Space." Ballard News-Tribune 13 Jan. 2012: n.pag. Web. 18 Nov. 2012. ; "Churchwoman: Emma Riley Smith." African American Women Confront the West: 1600 to 2000. Ed. Quintard Taylor and Shirley Ann Wilson Moore. Norman: University of Oklahoma, 2003. 132-135. Print. ; Hanshew, Annie. Border to Border: Historic Quilts and Quiltmakers of Montana. Helena: Montana Historical Society Press, 2009. 116-117. Print. ; "To Replenish Library." The Seattle Star (Seattle,Washington) Night Ed. 21 Oct. 1904: 8. Print. ; "To Get Books." The Seattle Star (Seattle, Washington) Night Ed. 13 Dec. 1904: 3. Print.

The Free Colored Carnegie Branch of the Lawson McGhee Library (Knoxville, Tennessee)

The Lawson McGhee Library of Knoxville, Tennessee opened the Free Colored Carnegie Branch in 1918 to provide services for the city's African American residents. Charles Warner Cansler, a noted African American teacher and lawyer, helped secure a gift of $10,000 from Andrew Carnegie for the branch's construction. The Free Colored Carnegie Branch remained in operation until 1961. In 1930, the Lawson McGhee Library began offering services to African Americans at a second location, the Murphy Branch Library. The Murphy Branch is still in operation. The Lawson McGhee Library now serves as the central library for the Knox County Public Library System.

See related posts: The Negro Branch of the Carnegie Library of Nashville (Nashville, Tennessee) ; The Colored School Department of the Cossitt Library (Memphis, Tennessee); and The Howard Branch of the Chattanooga Public Library (Chattanooga, Tennessee).

Update 01/01/2013:
Charles Warner Cansler was the son of Laura Ann Scott Cansler. A native of North Carolina, Laura Ann Scott Cansler was the first African American teacher in Knoxville, Tennessee. In 1864, Mrs. Cansler opened the Burnside School, a school for African Americans. The school was named for General Ambrose Everett Burnside, a Civil War general and U.S. senator (Republican - Rhode Island).

See: McRary, Amy. "Laura Ann Cansler Was Knoxville's First African American Teacher." Knoxnews.com. Knoxville News Sentinel, 29 Dec. 2012. Web. 1 Jan. 2013. ; Cotham, Steve. "Local Black History: Charles Warner Cansler." Knoxnews.com. Knoxville News Sentinel, 23 Feb. 2011. Web. 19 May 2012. ; "Burnside, Ambrose Everett (1824-1881)." Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, 1774-Present. United States Congress, n.d. Web. 1 Jan. 2013. 

On December 29, 2012, a story written by Erica Taylor on Laura Ann Scott Cansler was featured in the "Tom Joyner Morning Show's Little Known Black History Fact" column:

Little Known Black History Fact: Laura Ann Cansler (written by Erica Taylor)
http://blackamericaweb.com/85492/little-known-black-history-fact-laura-ann-cansler/


Sources: Miller, Ernest I. "Library Services for Negroes in Tennessee." Journal of Negro Education 10.4 (1941): 637. Print. ; Hudson, Earline H. "Library Service to Blacks and Black Librarians in Tennessee." The Black Librarian in the Southeast: Reminiscences, Activities, Challenges. Ed. Annette L. Phinazee. Durham: NCCU School of Library Science, 1980. 104, 109, 112. Print. ; "Knox County Public Library History." About the Library. Knoxville County Public Library, 2007. Web. 19 May 2012. ; Cotham, Steve. "Local Black History: Charles Warner Cansler." Knoxnews.com. Knoxville News Sentinel, 23 Feb. 2011. Web. 19 May 2012. ; "Burnside, Ambrose Everett (1824-1881)." Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, 1774-Present. United States Congress, n.d. Web. 1 Jan. 2013. 

Carnegie Free Library of San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago

The Carnegie Free Library in San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago was built in 1918 with a gift of £2,500 from Andrew Carnegie. It opened for service in 1919 and is still in operation today. In 1998, the Carnegie Free Library, the Public Library of Trinidad, and the Central Library of Trinidad and Tobago were place under the governance of the National Library and Information System Authority (NALIS) per the NALIS Act, No. 18 of 1998.

The following monograph on the Carnegie Free Library of San Fernando was found through a search on OCLC's WorldCat database:

Commemorative Brochure: 60th Anniversary Celebrations, 1919-1979. San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago: Carnegie Free Library, 1980. Print.

Sources: Caribbean Libraries in the 21st Century: Changes, Challenges, and Choices. Ed. Cheryl Peltier-Davis and Shamin Renwick. Medford: Information Today, Inc., 2007. 4, 9, 12, 134-135. Print. ; Hill, Claudia. "Early Days of the Central Library and the Book Van in Trinidad and Tobago." Libraries & the Cultural Record 42.2 (2007): 183, 188. Print. ; "A Brief History of San Fernando." TriniView.com. TriniView.com, 4 May 2007. Web. 1 May 2012. ; Fabrizio, Claude. Towards A Cultural Development Policy: Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. Paris: United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, 1981. 22. Print. ; "History of the National Library and Information System Authority." NALIS. National Library and Information System Authority, n.d. Web. 1 May 2012.

Update 05/10/2012:

Here is an additional source for information on the Carnegie Free Library of San Ferndando:

	Jordan, Alma T. The Development of Library Service in the West Indies through Interlibrary Cooperation. Metuchen: Scarecrow, 1970. 66-67, 71, 143, 148-149, 160, 168, 177, 247, 258-259, 297. Print.

Update 09/30/2015:

Related posts:  Carnegie Free Library of Barbados (Bridgetown, Barbados) and Carnegie Free Library of St. Lucia (Castries, St. Lucia)

Update 02/07/2016:

Related post: Carnegie Library Roseau (Roseau, Dominica)

The Negro Branch of the Carnegie Library of Nashville (Nashville, Tennessee)

In 1916, the Carnegie Library of Nashville (now the Nashville Public Library) opened the Negro Branch of the Carnegie Library of Nashville.  It was built with a gift of $25,000 from Andrew Carnegie and remained in operation until 1949. Marion M. Hadley was the branch's first librarian. Other librarians to serve at the Negro Branch were Olivia Carr, Olivia Greenway, Hattie Watkins, and Ophelia Lockhart.

See related posts: The Free Colored Carnegie Branch of the Lawson McGhee Library (Knoxville, Tennessee) ; The Colored School Department of the Cossitt Library (Memphis, Tennessee); and The Howard Branch of the Chattanooga Public Library (Chattanooga, Tennessee).

Sources: Wynn, Lynda T. Leaders of Afro-American Nashville: The Negro Branch of the Carnegie Library. Nashville: Conference on Afro-American Culture and History, 1999. Print. ; Miller, Ernest I. "Library Service for Negroes in Tennessee." Journal of Negro Education 10.4 (1941): 636-637. Print. ; Hudson, Earline H. "Library Service to Blacks and Black Librarians in Tennessee." The Black Librarian in the Southeast: Reminiscences, Activities, Challenges. Ed. Annette L. Phinazee. Durham: NCCU School of Library Science, 1980. 105, 108. Print. ; "Photograph of the Negro Branch of the Carnegie Library, circa 1916." Nashville Public Library Digital Collection. Nashville Public Library, 2006. Web. 15 Jan. 2011. ; Malone, Cheryl Knott. "Quiet Pioneers: Black Women Public Librarians in the Segregated South." Vitae Scholasticae 19.1 (2000): 4, 11-13. Print. ; Malone, Cheryl Knott. "The Adult Collection at Nashville's Negro Public Library, 1915-1916." Libraries to the People: Histories of Outreach. Ed. Robert S. Freeman and David M. Hovde. Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 2003. 148-156.Print.

                                                                                                                                                                         

The Suva City Carnegie Library (Suva, Fiji)

In 1907, Andrew Carnegie donated $7,300 (equivalent to £1460 at the time) for the establishment of the Suva City Carnegie Library in Suva, Fiji. The library is still in operation today.    

Sources: Panapasa, Geraldine. “Library Comes of Age.” The Fiji Times Online. Fiji Times Unlimited, 14 Sept. 2008. Web. 3 Feb. 2012. ; Calvert, Philip J. “Pacific Island Libraries.” International Dictionary of Library Histories, Vol. 1. Ed. David H. Stam. Chicago: Fitzroy Dearborn, 2001. 125. Print. ; Williams, Esther Batiri. "Fiji." World Encyclopedia of Library and Information Services. Ed. Robert Wedgeworth. 3rd ed. Chicago: American Library Association, 1993. 293-294. Print. ; "Suva City Library Celebrates 100 Years." The Fiji Times Online. Fiji Times Unlimited, 3 Sept. 2008. Web. 3 Mar. 2012.

Update 04/13/2012:

  William Thomson, the great-grandson of Andrew Carnegie, was special guest at the Suva City Carnegie Library 100th Anniversary Celebration.

Source: "Suva City Library Celebrates 100 Years." The Fiji Times Online. Fiji Times Unlimited, 3 Sept. 2008. Web. 13 Apr. 2012.

The following monographs on the Suva City Carnegie Library were found through a search on OCLC's WorldCat database:

Baksh, S. The Suva City Library: A Brief History and Development, 1909-1980. Suva: Suva City Library, 1980. Print.

Cerelala, Isimeli and Frances Pene. Suva City Carnegie Library: 100th Anniversary. Suva: Admed Consultants, 2008. Print.

Update 10/03/2012:

 Before the Suva City Carnegie Library was established, there were earlier initiatives to provide library services in Fiji. One such initiative was the creation of the Levuka Reading Room in Levuka, Fiji by William Thomas Pritchard. The Levuka Reading Room was built between 1858 and 1862, and remained in operation until 1872. The reading room's collection was later transferred to the Levuka Mechanics Institute.

Sources: Calvert, Philip James. "The Levuka Reading Room: Fiji's First Library." Journal of Library History 20.3 (1985): 302-309. Print. ; Mason, James E. Handbook to Fiji and Catalogue of the Exhibits. London: William Clowes and Sons, Ltd., 1886. 27. Print. ;Calvert, Philip J. “Pacific Island Libraries.” International Dictionary of Library Histories, Vol. 1. Ed. David H. Stam. Chicago: Fitzroy Dearborn, 2001. 125. Print. ; Cooper, H. Stonehewer. Our New Colony Fiji: Its History, Progress, and Resources. London: Mortgage and Agency Co. of Australasia, 1882. 17. Print. ; Horne, Gerald. The White Pacific: U.S. Imperialism and Black Slavery in the South Seas after the Civil War. Honolulu: U of Hawaii P, 2007. 80. Print.

Update 09/30/2015:

Related posts:  Carnegie Free Library of Barbados (Bridgetown, Barbados) ; Carnegie Free Library of San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago; and Carnegie Free Library of St. Lucia (Castries, St. Lucia).

Carnegie Negro Library of Meridian, Mississippi

The Carnegie Negro Library of Meridian, Mississippi opened in 1913. Located on the corner of 13th Street and 28th Avenue, this library was the first library for African Americans in Lauderdale County. Land for the library was provided by St. Paul's United Methodist Church, and $8,000 in Carnegie funds was allotted for the library's construction. In 1974, the library closed, and the building was torn down on May 28, 2008.

Update 10/28/2012:

Additional resources relating to the Carnegie Negro Library of Meridian, Mississippi:

"Improvements." The Christian Educator 27.2 (1916): 12. Print.

Work, Monroe N. "Libraries for Negroes." The Negro Yearbook: An Annual Encyclopedia of the Negro, 1921-1922. Tuskegee, AL: The Negro Yearbook Book Publishing Co., 1922. 268. Print.

Update 2/29/2013:

The Carnegie Negro Library of Meridian, Mississippi is mentioned in the following sources:

McAllister, Dorothy. "Library Service to the Colored Race." Mississippi Library News 17.2 (1953):113-114. Print.

Gleason, Eliza Atkins. The Southern Negro and the Public Library. Chicago: U of Chicago P, 1941. 76. Print.

Sources: McMillen, Neil R. Dark Journey: Black Mississippians in the Age of Jim Crow. Urbana: U of Illinois P. 1989. 11. Print. ; Beal, Billie C. "Freedom Summer and Integrating the Meridian, Mississippi Public Library." Newsletter of the Black Caucus of the American Library Association 36.3 (2007): 1. Print. ; McKee, Anne. "I Could Write A Book." Meridian Star 10 Jan. 2008: n. pag. Web. 7 Aug. 2011. ; Conner, Tametria. "Former Carnegie Library Demolished." WTOK.com. News Center 11 (Meridian, MS), 28 May 2008. Web. 7 Aug. 2011. ; McKee, Anne. "The Little Museum That Could, and Did, Thrives in the Twenty-First Century." Meridian Star 26 Apr. 2007: n. pag. Web. 7 Aug. 2011. ; Battles, David M. The History of Public Library Access for African Americans in the South or, Leaving Behind the Plow. Lanham: Scarecrow, 2009. 35-36. Print.

Dryades Branch of the New Orleans Public Library (New Orleans, Louisiana) : A Colored Carnegie Library

In 1915, the Dryades Branch of the New Orleans Public Library was established at 1924 Philip Street to serve the African American citizens of New Orleans. Businessman and library philanthropist Andrew Carnegie (1835-1919) gave $25,000 for the branch's construction at the urging of James Hardy Dillard (1856-1940), a professor at Tulane University and an alumnus of Washington and Lee University (Dillard University was named for him). William R. Burk (1887-1961) served as the library's architect (Burk's firm is still in business today and is now called Burk-Kleinpeter, Inc.). A dedication program for the Dryades Branch was held on Saturday, October 24, 1915. Attendees of the program were Henry Gill (City Librarian), Frank B. Smith, James Madison Vance, Dr. Robert E. Jones, Dr. James T. Newman, Sylvania F. Williams, Walter Cohen, Albert Workman, and Rev. J.L. Burrell.

The Dryades Branch Library was well-received.  In 1938, 1,300 children participated in the branch's Book Week Program. Famous visitors to the library included Carter G. Woodson (1875-1950), founder of the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (now the Association for the Study of African American Life and History), and Paul Robeson (1898-1976), singer, athlete, actor, author, and civil rights leader. Librarians that worked at the branch included Delia Louisa Allen, Adelia Trent, and Anita L. Johnson.

The Dryades Branch remained in operation until 1965 (the building suffered damage from Hurricane Betsy). After remaining empty and unused for several years, the building was purchased by the Dryades Street YMCA and repurposed for use for community activities and programs. It has been declared a historic landmark by the Historic District Landmarks Commission of New Orleans, Louisiana (near the bottom of  the "Historic Landmarks" section of commission's website is a list of current historic landmarks).

See related post: Marcus Bruce Christian (1900-1976), Louisiana Librarian

Sources: Spooner, Gloria. "Establishment of African American Public Library Service in Louisiana." Louisiana Libraries 63.3 (2001): 23-25. Print. ; "1,300 Race Children Attend Book Week Program at Library." The Pittsburgh Courier (Pittsburgh, Pa.) 26 Nov. 1938: 18. Print. ; Smith, Norman R. Footprints of Black Louisiana. [Bloomington, IN?]: Xlibris Corp., 2010. 96-97. Print. ; Gunn, Alistair J. Prof. Dr. James Hardy Dillard, 1856-1940: Towards A Postal History Biography. N.p.: www.lulu.com, 2009. Print. ; "J.H. Dillard: End of An Epoch." The Pittsburgh Courier (Pittsburgh, Pa.) 17 Aug. 1940: 6. Print. ; White, Claytee D. "Robeson, Paul (1898-1976)." Blackpast.org, n.d. Web. 2014 Nov. 9. ; Dagbovie, Pero Gaglo. "Woodson, Carter (1875-1950)." Blackpast.org, n.d. Web. 2014 Nov. 9. ; Martinez, Eligio Jr. "Dillard University." Blackpast.org, n.d. Web. 2014 Nov. 9. ; "Historic Landmarks." Historic District Landmarks Commission. City of New Orleans, 2014. Web. 2014 Nov. 9. ; "Home." BKI: Burk-Kleinpeter, Inc. Burk-Kleinpeter, Inc., 2012. Web. 2014 Nov. 9. ; "Foto's Folly Theatre." The Herald (New Orleans, La.) 1920 Dec. 16: 5. Print. ; "New Orleans Dryades Branch. 1920-1928 Philip Street, New Orleans. 1915. Job no. 227." William R. Burk Office Records, Southeastern Architectural Archive Collection 42, Project Drawings, Specifications, ca. 1915-1977 (Finding Aid). [New Orleans, La.]: Tulane University, n.d. 2. Pdf. ; "Hurricane Betsy - September 6-13, 1965." National Weather Service, Weather Prediction Center, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, n.d. Web. 2014 Nov. 9. ; CreoleGen. "The Right to Read... The Dryades Street Library (1915-1965)." CreoleGen, 2014 Mar. 22. Web. 2014 Nov. 9. ; Horowitz, Andy. "Hurricane Betsy and the Politics of Disaster in New Orleans' Lower Ninth Ward, 1965-1967." Journal of Southern History 80.4 (Nov. 2014): 893-934. Print.

Article on Evansville, Indiana's Former African American Library Branch (The Cherry Street Branch -- A Colored Carnegie Library)

 The Spring 2011 (v. 10, no. 2) issue of the Library History Round Table Newsletter contains a short article I wrote about the former Cherry Street Branch of the Evansville-Vanderburgh County Public Library of Evansville, Indiana. Built with a donation from Andrew Carnegie, the Cherry Street Branch Library (also known as the "Colored Branch") provided services to Evansville's African American community from 1914-1954. To read the article, visit the Library History Round Table Newsletter's page at:

Fenton, Michele. "Building Spotlight: The Cherry Street (African American) Branch of the Evansville-Vanderburgh County, IN Public Library." LHRT Newsletter 10.2 (2011):6-7. Print.

Update 03/04/2012:

  There is also a longer, expanded article I wrote containing additional information about the Cherry Street Branch of the Evansville-Vanderburgh County Public Library in Indiana Libraries, v. 30, no. 2 (2011):

Fenton, Michele T. "Way Down Yonder at the Cherry Street Branch: A Short History of Evansville's Negro Library." Indiana Libraries 30.2 (2011): 37-41. Print.


Update 06/01/2012:

   The Cherry Street Branch of the Evansville-Vanderburgh County Public Library is briefly mentioned on pages 56 and 213 of the following monograph:
    
      McPherson, Alan. Temples of Knowledge: Andrew Carnegie's Gift to Indiana. Kewanna, IN: Hoosier's Nest Press, 2003. 56, 213. Print.

Update 12/17/2012:

See related posts: Lillian Sunshine Hayden Childress Hall: Pioneer in the History of Library Service to African Americans in Indiana, Fannie C. Porter and the Evansville-Vanderburgh County Public Library, and Minnie B. Slade Bishop: 1939 Graduate of the Hampton Institute Library School, and The Flanner Guild Deposit Station, Paul Laurence Dunbar Branch, Crispus Attucks Branch, and the George Washington Carver Branch of the Indianapolis Public Library (Indianapolis, Indiana).

Update 03/09/2013:

The Wisconsin Historical Society has in its digital collection, a picture of children using the Cherry Street Branch:

http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/whi/fullRecord.asp?id=74504

Also, the Evansville-Vanderburgh County Public Library has in its digital collection, a picture of the Cherry Street Branch in 1927:

http://digital.evpl.org/u?/evplcent,253

Update 04/18/2014:

I wrote an article on Lillian Haydon Childress Hall who served as branch manager of the Cherry Street Branch from 1915 until 1921. The article was published in the latest issue of "Indiana Libraries". Click the link below for access:

Fenton, Michele T. "Stepping Out on Faith: Lillian Haydon Childress Hall, Pioneer Black Librarian." Indiana Libraries 33.1 (2014): 5-11. Print.

Update 6/07/2014:

Rachel Davis Harris, noted children's librarian at the Eastern Colored Branch of the Louisville Free Public Library, was the keynote speaker at the dedication ceremony for the Cherry Street Branch of the Evansville-Vanderburgh County Public Library. The ceremony took place on December 2, 1914 at McFarland Baptist Church (also called "McFarland Chapel"). The title of Mrs. Harris's speech was "The Advantages of Colored Library Branches." The Southern Workman, a journal published by the Hampton Institute (now Hampton University), published Mrs. Harris's speech in the v. 44, no. 7 (1915) issue. Google Books has digitized the Southern Workman. You can view Mrs. Harris's speech by clicking on the link below:

Harris, Rachel D. "The Advantages of Colored Library Branches." The Southern Workman 44.7 (1915): 385-391. Pdf.

The Cherry Street Branch is also mentioned in the following sources:

Malone, Cheryl Knott. "Quiet Pioneers: Black Women Public Librarians in the Segregated South." Vitae Scholasticae 19.1 (2000): 64. Print. ; Bigham, Darrel. Southern Indiana. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing, 2000. 89. Print. ; "The Negro Library in Evansville, Ind." Public Libraries 20.3 (1915): 115. Print. ; "News of Indiana Libraries." Library Occurrent 3.8 (1913): 138. Print. ; "Carnegie Donations." Library Occurrent 3.7 (1913): 124. Print. ; "News of Indiana Libraries." Library Occurrent 3.12 (1914): 203. Print. ; "New Library Buildings." Library Occurrent 4.2 (1915): 28. Print. ; "Personals." Library Occurrent 3.12 (1914): 204. Print.  ; Evansville Public Library. Second Annual Report, 1914. Evansville: Evansville Public Library, 1915. 6. Print. ; Goldhor, Herbert. The First Fifty Years: The Evansville Public Library and the Vanderburgh County Public Library. Evansville: Goldhor, 1962. 4, 22. Print. ; Evansville Public Library. First Annual Report, 1913. Evansville: Evansville Public Library, 1914. 8. Print. ; Bobinski, George S. Carnegie Libraries: Their History and Impact on American Public Library Development. Chicago: ALA, 1969. 80, 176. Print. ; Shores, Louis. "Public Library Service to Negroes." Library Journal 55.4 (1930): 152. Print. ; Atherton, Christi. "West Branch Library, A Mix of Past & Present." Evansville Courier & Press 22 Aug. 2008: n. pag. Web. 29 Jan. 2011. ; Rose, Ernestine. "Work with Negroes Round Table." Bulletin of the American Library Association 16.40 (1922): 363-365 and Library Journal 47.14 (1922): 666-668. Print. ; Bigham, Darrel E. An Evansville Album: Perspectives on a River City, 1812-1988. Bloomington: Indiana UP, 1988. 92. Print.