Description: This photograph shows the stacks in the Ohio State University Library, Columbus, in 1941. Three men are visible in the image. One of them is standing on a lower level; the two other men are standing on the semi-transparent floor above him. When OSU (then the Ohio Agricultural and Mechanical College) was established in 1873, its library was housed in University Hall. In 1893 it was moved to Orton Hall. Ground was broken for a new Ohio State University Library facility in December 1910. The library opened to the University community in January 1913. Since 1951 the central library's official name has been William Oxley Thompson Memorial Library, in honor of the University's fifth president. It has been renovated or expanded three times: in 1951, 1977, and 2007-2009. It is the central research library in the University's system, which includes 55 individual libraries and collections. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL06195
Subjects: Libraries--Ohio--History; Academic libraries--Ohio; Columbus (Ohio); Ohio State University. Libraries
Places: Columbus (Ohio); Franklin County (Ohio)
 

Description: This photograph is a view of Toledo Public Library building located at Madison Avenue and Ontario Street. Noted Toledo architect Edward O. Fallis (1851-1927) designed the library in the Richardsonian Romanesque style. Rough-hewn stones are arranged in horizontal bands of varying widths. The building has the rounded turrets and curved corners associated with this style. A tree stands in front of the building, whose exterior walls are overgrown with foliage. A handwritten caption in the bottom border reads: "Toledo Public Library." Toledo's public library system has its roots in subscription libraries that charged an annual fee to its members. The Young Men's Association organized the city's first such library in 1838. The nationwide public library movement began during the 1870s, and in 1873 the Toledo city council authorized the purchase of two subscription library collections. This step marked the beginning of the Toledo Public Library. In 1890 the city built the library seen in this photograph. It remained Toledo’s only public library until 1917, when Carnegie Foundation financed the construction of branch libraries. By the 1930s, space in the main library was at a premium, and shortly after the current main library (on Michigan Street) was completed in 1940, the original building was razed. The site is now a parking lot. Fallis was a noted Toledo architect who designed several buildings that are on the National Register of Historic Places. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL06167
Subjects: Architecture--Ohio; Toledo (Ohio); Libraries--Ohio--History; Richardsonian Romanesque
Places: Toledo (Ohio); Lucas County (Ohio)
 

Description: This photograph shows the Main Library building in Toledo, Ohio, located at 325 Michigan Street. Designed by the architectural firm Hahn & Hayes, the Art Deco structure opened in 1940, and its $2 million cost was financed largely by the Works Progress Administration. This building replaced the city's original main library, located at Madison Avenue and Ontario Street, which opened in 1890. That structure was razed in 1940, shortly after the new main library opened. Toledo's public library system has its roots in subscription libraries that charged an annual fee to its members. The Young Men's Association organized the city's first such library in 1838. The nationwide public library movement began during the 1870s, and in 1873 the Toledo city council authorized the purchase of two subscription library collections. This step marked the beginning of the Toledo Public Library. The original main library was Toledo’s only public library until 1917, when Carnegie Foundation financed the construction of branch libraries. By the 1930s, space in the main library was at a premium; within the space of a decade, a new facility became a reality. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL06168
Subjects: Architecture--Ohio; Toledo (Ohio); Libraries--Ohio--History; Art Deco
Places: Toledo (Ohio); Lucas County (Ohio)
 

Description: Handwritten on reverse: "Public Library. Portsmouth." Portsmouth's traces of a public library began in 1831 when a small library opened at the corner of Market and Front Streets. However, the library closed a short time later. It wasn't until 1879 when the Portsmouth City Schools Board of Education donated a building at the corner of Fifth and Court to provide these services. In 1902 Andrew Carnegie donated $50,000 to construct a new library with the solicitation of Henry Lorberg. The new library, designed by architects Richards, McCarty and Bulford, opened on February 1, 1906 at 1220 Gallia Street and is still used to this day. Much of the architecture stays true to the numerous Carnegie libraries even though the library received renovations and extensions in 1971 and 1995 by the architectural firm of Donaldson, Wittenmeyer and Associates and Myers, NBD. Four Ionic columns at the entrance, holding a pediment which reads "Public Library". View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B08F13_015_1
Subjects: Public libraries--Ohio; Carnegie libraries--1900-1910; Carnegie, Andrew, 1835-1919
Places: Portsmouth (Ohio); Scioto County (Ohio)
 

Description: This photograph shows two men sitting at a table repairing books at the Cincinnati Public Library, Cincinnati, Ohio, on June 8, 1936. Both men are in shirtsleeves; the man on the right has dipped an instrument (probably a brush) into a tin of commercial paste. The books on the table are in various states of disrepair. Bookcases made of wood and glass are visible in the background. The Federal Writers Project of the Works Progress Administration (WPA) instituted a work relief program in library instruction and services. The library program was administered by its Division of Women's and Professional Projects. The program's goal was to demonstrate librarians’ techniques to underserved populations with new libraries, new bookmobiles, and newly bound books. Although WPA library demonstration projects nationwide served African Americans and the rural poor, WPA work crews in libraries remained segregated. The project also generated controversy. The "Bulletin of the American Library Association" reported that the bindery industry accused the WPA of “workstealing.” The bookbinding work shown here was titled “Project #16-31-699: W.P.A. Bookbinding project in Cincinnati Public Library, Cincinnati, Ohio." The library began as a subscription library in 1802. On March 14, 1853, it became the Cincinnati Public Library. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL06192
Subjects: Libraries--Ohio--History; Bookbinding; Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County; Cincinnati (Ohio); United States. Works Progress Administration; Federal Writers' Project;
Places: Cincinnati (Ohio); Hamilton County (Ohio)
 

Description: This photograph shows the reading room and four-story atrium of the Cincinnati Public Library, Cincinnati, Ohio, ca. 1935-1943. This photograph was taken from top level at the back corner of the atrium, facing towards the front of the building. This building which is now referred to as the “Old Main” Public Library, was located at 629 Vine Street (west side), between 6th and 7th Streets. Completed in 1874 and designed by architect James W. McLaughlin, the building was considered one of the most magnificent public libraries in the country. This area pictured here had five levels of cast-iron alcoves. Visible is the catalog desk (center, right) and a bust of James Murdoch (1811-1893), Cincinnati actor and public speaker (bust located under the "Fiction" sign, lower left corner). It is one of the few statues that survived the move to the “New Main” and can be found in the Literature & Languages section. The Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County is now one of the largest and busiest public libraries in the world and operates 41 branch locations. The library began as a subscription library in 1802. On March 14, 1853, it became the Cincinnati Public Library. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL06194
Subjects: Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County; McLaughlin, James W., 1834-1923; Libraries--Ohio--History; Cincinnati (Ohio); Murdoch, James Edward, 1811-1893
Places: Cincinnati (Ohio); Hamilton County (Ohio)
 

Description: Reverse reads: "State Picture Book: Ident.- 18; Dummy page 16- lower; Credit- ; Caption: Children's room- The Old Library, Toledo. This photo must be returned to Ohio Writers' Project, S.E. Chestnut St., Columbus, O." This is a photograph of five children talking to a librarian at the children's room in the Old Library in Toledo, Ohio. There are several books on the table and a drawer pulled from the card catalog. The Old Library was built in the 1930s as part of the Works Progress Administration. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B13F11_032_001
Subjects: Public libraries--Ohio; Children; Children's libraries; Libraries; Library architecture--United States; Toledo (Ohio)--History--Pictorial works; Ohio--History--Pictorial works; Federal Writers' Project.
Places: Toledo (Ohio); Lucas County (Ohio)
 

Description: Reverse reads: "School Library project- Monclova High School (Lucas Co.) Helen Demuth- W.P.A. librarian. Left to right: Euniee Sutton, Louise Naylor, Anna Mary Walter, Myron Kampfer, Francis B. Archambeau." This is a photograph of five high school students working in the library at Monclova High School in Toledo, Ohio. There is a librarian helping them choose books and materials behind the card catalog. As part of the Works Progress Administration, librarians were able to significantly advance library opportunities for the general public. Under the W.P.A., professional librarians and W.P.A. workers trained to perform basic library skills distributing books and materials by new and unusual means. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B13F11_034_001
Subjects: High school libraries--Ohio; Librarians--Ohio; Children; Children's libraries; Libraries; Toledo (Ohio)--History--Pictorial works; Ohio--History--Pictorial works; Federal Writers' Project.
Places: Toledo (Ohio); Lucas County (Ohio)
 

Description: Exterior view of Logan County District Library in Bellefontaine, Ohio. The library was built in 1905 with money donated by industrialist and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. Carnegie donated money to build 111 libraries in Ohio in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL04653
Subjects: Libraries--Ohio; Cultural Ohio--Literary Ohio
Places: Bellefontaine (Ohio); Logan County (Ohio)
 

Description: Exterior view of the Mansfield-Richland County Public Library in Mansfield, Ohio. The library was built in 1908 with money donated by Andrew Carnegie. Carnegie donated money to build 111 libraries in Ohio in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL04654
Subjects: Libraries--Ohio; Cultural Ohio--Literary Ohio
Places: Mansfield (Ohio); Richland County (Ohio)
 

Description: This appears to be a photo of four children looking at books in a grade school library. On the right, there is a librarian checking out books. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B12F06_031_001
Subjects: Libraries; Dewey decimal classification; Grade schools; Librarians--Ohio; Books; Children; Children's libraries; Education; Ohio--History--Pictorial works; Federal Writers' Project
Places: Ohio
 

Description: Three photographs show a bookmobile in Noble County, Ohio. Operated by the State Library of Ohio, the bookmobile visited rural parts of southeastern Ohio. The first photograph shows people waiting in line for the bookmobile, while the second photograph shows the interior of the library on wheels. A group of children are shown reading outside the bookmobile in the final photograph. The photographs measure 2.75" x 2.75" (6.99 x 6.99 cm). The State Library of Ohio was established in 1817 to provide services to legislators. The State Library began providing funding to establish libraries in rural areas of Ohio in the 1930s. By 1953, the library operated 53 bookmobiles in 37 counties. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: Om3039_3655078_001
Subjects: Transportation; Literary Ohio; Bookmobiles; Libraries; Books
Places: Ava (Ohio); Noble County (Ohio)