Description: Caption on reverse reads: "The Dayton Public Library. Dayton, O. Montgomery County. See Card # 15 and # 15-C." Library service began in Dayton in 1805 with the Social Library Society of Dayton. The Dayton Library Association was established in 1847, which lasted until 1860, when it merged with the Public School Library, first organized in 1855. At the beginning, it occupied many different sites including: the old United Brethren building on the corner of Main and Fourth (4th) Streets; The Central High School building; the old city building and for a short time, improvised quarters in a building just north of the courthouse. The first building specifically for the Dayton Public Library, built in 1888, was located in Cooper Park, at the corner of Third (3rd) and Patterson, in downtown Dayton. The winning design was submitted by Messrs. Peters & Burns and the in the June of 1885, contracts for construction were let. The fireproof building was in the French Gothic or Romanesque style and built of Dayton limestone, with Marquette red sandstone trimmings. Fully completed and furnished it cost about $110,000. In 1956, the library officially changed its name to the Dayton and Montgomery County Public Library. A new $2.3 million building was constructed for the Main Library in 1960, adjacent to the old building, opened March 26, 1962, and is still in use today (albeit with renovations done in 1987 and 1998-2000). The old building was demolished in 1962 after having transferred to the new building. The Dayton and Montgomery County Public Library name stayed on until June 19, 2002, when it officially changed its name to the Dayton Metro Library. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B08F13_005_1
Subjects: Public libraries--Ohio; Libraries--Ohio--Dayton--1880-1890; Dayton (Ohio). Public Library; Dayton & Montgomery County Public Library; Demolished buildings
Places: Dayton (Ohio); Montgomery County (Ohio)
 

Description: This portrait of Burton Stevenson (1872-1962) shows the Ohio author dressed in a suit and reading a book while sitting in a rocker. Born in Chillicothe, Burton Stevenson devoted his life to the written word. He was a prolific author (he wrote more than 50 books), an anthologist, and a librarian. Following stints as a journalist while a student at Princeton University and then at newspapers in Chillicothe, Stevenson became the librarian of that city's public library in 1899. He held the post for 58 years. Stevenson helped secure a Carnegie Library for Chillicothe, completed in 1906, and became prominent for his service during World War I. He founded a library at Camp Sherman (an army training camp north of the city), which became a model for others nationally. Stevenson then went to Paris as the European director of the Library War Service. After the Armistice in 1918, he established the American Library in Paris and directed it until 1920 and again from 1925 - 1930. In addition to his accomplishments as a librarian, he wrote or compiled more than 50 books, including "The Mystery of the Boule Cabinet" (1912), the "Home Book of Quotations" (1934), and many works for young people. Stevenson died in 1962. Stevenson Center, at Ohio University-Chillicothe, is named for him. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL06665
Subjects: Stevenson, Burton Egbert, 1872-1962; Authors, American--Ohio; Libraries--Ohio--History; Ohio authors
Places: Chillicothe (Ohio); Ross County (Ohio)
 

Description: This photograph shows Burton Stevenson (1872-1962), an author from Chillicothe, Ohio, sitting at a desk. The work area, including a pigeonhole cabinet, is piled with papers, books, and other materials. Pen or pencil in hand, Stevenson appears to be correcting page proofs. Born in Chillicothe, Burton Stevenson devoted his life to the written word. He was a prolific author (he wrote more than 50 books), an anthologist, and a librarian. Following stints as a journalist while a student at Princeton University and then at newspapers in Chillicothe, Stevenson became the librarian of that city's public library in 1899. He held the post for 58 years. Stevenson helped secure a Carnegie Library for Chillicothe, completed in 1906, and became prominent for his service during World War I. He founded a library at Camp Sherman (an army training camp north of the city), which became a model for others nationally. Stevenson then went to Paris as the European director of the Library War Service. After the Armistice in 1918, he established the American Library in Paris and directed it until 1920 and again from 1925 - 1930. In addition to accomplishments as a librarian, he wrote or compiled more than 50 books, including "The Mystery of the Boule Cabinet" (1912), the "Home Book of Quotations" (1934), and many works for young people. Stevenson died in 1962. Stevenson Center, at Ohio University-Chillicothe, is named for him. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL06666
Subjects: Stevenson, Burton Egbert, 1872-1962; Authors, American--Ohio; Libraries--Ohio--History; Ohio authors
Places: Chillicothe (Ohio); Ross County (Ohio)
 

Description: This photograph shows Burton Stevenson (1872-1962), an author from Chillicothe, Ohio, sitting at a desk. The work area, including a pigeonhole cabinet, is piled with papers, books, and other materials. Pen or pencil in hand, Stevenson appears to be correcting page proofs. Born in Chillicothe, Burton Stevenson devoted his life to the written word. He was a prolific author (he wrote more than 50 books), an anthologist, and a librarian. Following stints as a journalist while a student at Princeton University and then at newspapers in Chillicothe, Stevenson became the librarian of that city's public library in 1899. He held the post for 58 years. Stevenson helped secure a Carnegie Library for Chillicothe, completed in 1906, and became prominent for his service during World War I. He founded a library at Camp Sherman (an army training camp north of the city), which became a model for others nationally. Stevenson then went to Paris as the European director of the Library War Service. After the Armistice in 1918, he established the American Library in Paris and directed it until 1920 and again from 1925 - 1930. In addition to his accomplishments as a librarian, he wrote or compiled more than 50 books, including "The Mystery of the Boule Cabinet" (1912), the "Home Book of Quotations" (1934), and many works for young people. Stevenson died in 1962. Stevenson Center, at Ohio University-Chillicothe, is named for him. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL06667
Subjects: Stevenson, Burton Egbert, 1872-1962; Authors, American--Ohio; Libraries--Ohio--History; Ohio authors
Places: Chillicothe (Ohio); Ross County (Ohio)
 

Description: This photograph shows Burton Stevenson (1872-1962) standing near two bookcases filled with books. Various ceramic pitchers are arranged on the top of the bookcases. Stevenson appears to be wearing a dark-colored robe over his clothing. Born in Chillicothe, Burton Stevenson devoted his life to the written word. He was a prolific author (he wrote more than 50 books), an anthologist, and a librarian. Following stints as a journalist while a student at Princeton University and then at newspapers in Chillicothe, Stevenson became the librarian of that city's public library in 1899. He held the post for 58 years. Stevenson helped secure a Carnegie Library for Chillicothe, completed in 1906, and became prominent for his service during World War I. He founded a library at Camp Sherman (an army training camp north of the city), which became a model for others nationally. Stevenson then went to Paris as the European director of the Library War Service. After the Armistice in 1918, he established the American Library in Paris and directed it until 1920 and again from 1925-1930. In addition to accomplishments as a librarian, he wrote or compiled more than 50 books, including "The Mystery of the Boule Cabinet" (1912), the "Home Book of Quotations" (1934), and many works for young people. Stevenson died in 1962. Stevenson Center, at Ohio University-Chillicothe, is named for him. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL06668
Subjects: Stevenson, Burton Egbert, 1872-1962; Authors, American--Ohio; Libraries--Ohio--History; Ohio authors
Places: Chillicothe (Ohio); Ross County (Ohio)
 

Description: Photograph of the library of the Jeffrey Manufacturing Company, Columbus, Ohio, ca. 1946. This photo is of the inside of the library. Furniture and the collection are shown. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL02849
Subjects: Manufacturing industries--Ohio; Libraries--Ohio--History
Places: Columbus (Ohio); Franklin County (Ohio)
 

Description: Engraved portrait of Ohio pioneer Ephraim Cutler (1767-1853). He was the son of Manasseh Cutler and born in Massachusetts in 1767. Cutler left Massachusetts for Ohio in 1795 and helped to establish Ames Township (modern-day Amesville) in 1797. He was elected to the territorial legislature in 1801 and served as a delegate to the Ohio Constitutional Convention. As a member of the state legislature he worked for state funding for canals and property taxes to fund public schools. Cutler was also a charter member and first librarian of the Coonskin Library in 1804. He died in 1853. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL03955
Subjects: Education--Ohio; Libraries; Ohio History--State and Local Government
 

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: Caption reads: "Miami University, Library Entrance, Oxford, Ohio, Butler County. 1936." The Alumni Library opened in April of 1910 and was funded by the Alumni Centennial Fund and the Andrew Carnegie Foundation for the total amount of the $80,000 it cost to build. When the library opened, it featured a 70 ft. high rotunda, in addition to reading rooms and stacks. In 1924, an east wing was added to the building, which offered a main reference and reading room. A west wing was added to the building in 1952 in addition to the stacks that were added onto the building in 1930, 1949, and 1958. The Alumni Library was the main library of the university until the King Library was constructed in 1972. Miami University is one of the oldest and best-known universities in the State of Ohio. Miami University was founded in 1809. Although chartered in 1809, Miami University did not open its doors to students until 1823. It became known as the "Yale of the West." View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B09F02_002_001
Subjects: Miami University (Oxford, Ohio)--History; Architecture--Ohio; Academic libraries--Ohio; College buildings
Places: Oxford (Ohio); Butler County (Ohio)
 

Description: Dated December 1, 1937, this photograph shows the Baldwin Museum and Library in Akron, Ohio. The Baldwin Museum and Library is located at 208 Lincoln Way East (now routes 172 and 241), at the corner of 2nd Street Northeast. The brick, 'L'-shaped building was designed by local architects Albrecht & Wilhelm, incorporating the original Baldwin home. The Greek Revival style entrance, with its four Corinthian columns, is topped with a copper rotunda and was funded, in part, by a Works Progress Administration (WPA) grant. Construction began in 1936 and the Baldwin opened in 1937, while still partly unfinished, and opened officially on April 3, 1938. The Baldwin home, once the home of the city's founder James Duncan, had been left to the Massillon Library Board in 1931 for use as a library and museum, following the death of Mrs. Annie Steese Baldwin, wife of prominent local attorney Frank Baldwin. It opened as the Baldwin Museum in 1933, and having fulfilled the terms of Mrs. Baldwin's will, immediately began plans for expansion. Now called the Massillon Museum, it now occupies a new building at 121 Lincoln Way East, on the corner of City Hall Street SE (southeast). The old building is now the Massillon Public Library. This photograph is one of the many visual materials collected for use in the Ohio Guide. In 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt established the Works Progress Administration by executive order to create jobs for the large numbers of unemployed laborers, as well as artists, musicians, actors, and writers. The Federal Arts Program, a sector of the Works Progress Administration, included the Federal Writers’ Project, one of the primary goals of which was to complete the America Guide series, a series of guidebooks for each state which included state history, art, architecture, music, literature, and points of interest to the major cities and tours throughout the state. Work on the Ohio Guide began in 1935 with the publication of several pamphlets and brochures. The Reorganization Act of 1939 consolidated the Works Progress Administration and other agencies into the Federal Works Administration, and the Federal Writers’ Project became the Federal Writers’ Project in Ohio. The final product was published in 1940 and went through several editions. The Ohio Guide Collection consists of 4,769 photographs collected for use in Ohio Guide and other publications of the Federal Writers’ Project in Ohio from 1935-1939. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B08F13_014_1
Subjects: Museum buildings--Ohio; Public libraries--Ohio; Library architecture--United States; Buildings--Ohio; Ohio Federal Writers' Project
Places: Massillon (Ohio); Stark County (Ohio)