London Public Library

The London Public Library is the public library system of London, Ontario Canada. London Public Library opened in November, 1896.

It now has 16 branches open to the public. The branches are named Beacock, Byron, Carson, Central, Cherryhill, Crouch, East London, Glanworth, Jalna, Lambeth, Landon, Masonville, Northridge, Pond Mills, Sherwood,Westmount.

The Central Library, which used remodeled space that formerly housed a Bay outlet, which not only allowed for an economical expansion of the branch but also enjoyed had a more central location in the city's downtown core to aid in revitalizing the area. In addition, major additional outside donations enabled the construction of the Wolf Performance Hall, a state-of-the-art concert hall which hosts music and theatre performances. The Central Library is home to a beautifully landscaped Reading Garden, an oasis in the heart of the city with comfortable seating and multiple water features.

The Landon Branch Library is home to a valuable collection of Stained Glass windows that incorporate poetry by local artists. These were created by artist, Ted Gooden.

All locations offer art exhibits, numerous programs for adults, teens and children including author readings, summer reading program, health oriented activities and more. Six locations, Beacock, Central, Crouch, Jalna, Pond Mills and Westmount, house Employment Resource Centres staffed by facilitators and providing career search and development materials, free computer use and fax service for people researching careers and looking for employment.

History

November 26, 1895 The first London Public library opened at the southwest corner of Queens Avenue and Wellington Street under the Free Public Libraries Act of 1882, with Robert J. Blackwell, a former bookseller, hired as the first librarian.

1897 Mr. Blackwell, issued in book form, the library’s first published catalogue (taken from the card catalogue) using the new Dewey decimal classification system. (Copies of this catalogue are in the archives)

1902 So quickly did the library’s services grow that an addition had to be built at the rear of the building.

1908 Public access to the bookshelves was introduced

1909 The circulation of books exceeded 100,000 for the first time.

1910 The Reference Room opened and modern reference service began.

1912 The Glanworth Library Association was formed.

1913 The Children’s Room opened in the west end of the ground floor, formerly used as a ladies’ reading room.

November 18, 1913 Rev. Dr. James Ross, a member of the library board, was struck and killed by an automobile while in New York seeking an Andrew Carnegie library grant on behalf of the board.

1915 Miss Flanders was appointed as the first children’s librarian."'December 11, 1915"' The first story hour for children was started."'December 23, 1915"' London’s first branch library (East Branch) opened in a store in London East’s former town hall at the southwest corner of Dundas and Rectory Streets (now the Aeolian Hall).

1918 London’s second branch library (South Branch) opened at 14 Askin Street.London’s public libraries were closed for a month due to the flu epidemic.

1922 London’s third branch library (Southeast Branch) was opened in a store and then moved to the basement of the Trafalgar Public School.

1923 The South Branch Library relocated to Victoria Public School.The Glanworth Library, built with community funds, opened.Before leaving for the United States, Guy Lombardo played his last London performance at 305 Queens Avenue, site of the Winter Gardens which was a Hudson-Essex car dealership by day and a dance hall at night.

1924 The South Branch Library moved to its present location at 167 Wortley Road. The Lambeth Library Association was formed.

April 1925 The Southeast Branch Library settled in a house at 550 Hamilton Road(at the northwest corner of Sackville Street)

1926 The East Branch Library moved into the former Quebec Street School at the southwest corner of Dufferin Avenue and Quebec Street

1930 The circulation of books exceeded 500,000 for the first time.

1931 The Lambeth Library opened on Talbot Road.

1933 London’s three branch libraries were closed due to the Great Depression.

1934 London’s branch libraries re-opened after more funds were granted by City Council.

1935 The Byron Memorial Library was founded by the Women’s Institute.

November 17, 1939 The cornerstone for the new central library at 305 Queens Avenue was laid by Mayor Allan J. Johnston.

October 4, 1940 The Elsie Perrin Williams Memorial Building housing the art gallery, central library and historical museum, was opened by the Hon. Duncan McArthur, Minister of Education at 305 Queens Avenue on the site of the former Princess Rink and Winter Gardens.

1942 The library began lending 16mm films.The London Public Library was the first library in Canada to circulate sound recordings.The lending library of art was established and is now continued by Museum London.

1947 The Argyle Community Library was established.

1948 The Broughdale Library opened.

November 1951 London was the first city in Ontario to establish a bookmobile service.1952 The beginning of the library’s extensive microfilm collection began with the acquisition of microfilm copies of the Globe and Mail and the London Free Press. Three new galleries were added to the second floor of the Central Library.

1954 Marion Currie became the first woman to sit on the London Public Library Board. Her term of office lasted until 1973. She died on December 18th, 1995.

1955 A mobile library was purchased.

September 8, 1955 A new building was opened for the South Branch Library and it was renamed the Fred Landon Branch Library.

1957 Marion Currie became the first woman to chair the London Public Library Board.

April 10, 1958 A new building was opened for the Southeast Branch Library and it was renamed the Richard E.Crouch Branch Library.

1960 Eldon House, the former Harris family residence built in 1834 and London’s oldest surviving private residence, was given to the city of London by the Harris family.

1961 The circulation of books exceeded 1,000,000 for the first time.A second mobile library was purchased.

January 1, 1961 With annexation, the library acquired its fourth, fifth and sixth branch libraries - Argyle, Broughdale and Byron - and eight bookmobile stops formerly operated by the Middlesex County Library Co-operative. The Argyle Branch was moved to quarters in the Argyle Mall.

September 1961 The East Branch Library was renamed the W.O. Carson Branch Library.

1962 Community Relations Department was set up at the Central Library.

1963 The Glanworth Library joined the new Middlesex County Library system.

January 1, 1963 The library board became responsible for two historical museums - Eldon House and Victoria House Museum.

June 1963 The seventh branch library (Westown Branch) opened in the Westown Plaza Mall.

1965 The Victoria House Museum closed.

1967 The eighth branch library (Northland Branch) opened in the Northland Mall at 1275 Highbury Avenue. The former Victoria House Museum was demolished to make room for Centennial Hall.

July 31, 1967 The London Room opened."'April 26, 1968"' The new million-dollar addition to the Central Library was formally opened by Ontario Premier John P. Robarts, providing a new children’s wing, more book space and more gallery space and increasing overall floor space from 39,600 square feet to 97,480 square feet.

May 9, 1969 The Centennial Museum, built and donated by the London and District Construction Association, was opened.

1970 The library staff went on strike for the first and only time. This was the first strike by professional librarians in Canada.

July 1970 The Crouch Neighbourhood Resource Centre was created.

1972 The ninth branch library (Northridge Branch) was opened at 1444 GlenoraDrive as an extension of the Northland Branch Library.

January 1972 The Shut-In Library (now Home Library) service began.

April 7, 1972 The Byron Memorial Branch Library opened in a new enlarged building at 1295 Commissioners Road West.

1977 A new building for the W.O. Carson Branch Library was erected.

1978 The tenth branch library (Westminster Branch) opened.

1980 The eleventh branch library (White Oaks Branch) opened.The art gallery separated from the library and moved to its new facilities at the Forks of the Thames, the London Regional Art Gallery. Its former space of 12,940 square feet was renovated and a new staircase provided easier access to the newly expanded second floor.Grosvenor Lodge opened as a historical museum at 1017 Western Road.

June 1980 The twelfth branch library (Westmount Branch) opened in quarters adjoining the Village Green Baptist Church at 507 Village Green Avenue.

1981 The GEAC automated circulation system was completed.Major renovations were made to the Central Library and the London Room moved to the second floor.

March 14, 1982 The Northland Branch Library moved to a new building at 1280 Huron Street.1985 The Northland Branch Library was renamed the E.S. Beacock Branch Library. The COM (computer output microfiche) catalogue replaced the card catalogue.

May 7, 1985 The thirteenth branch library (Sherwood Forest Branch) opened in the Sherwood Forest Mall at 1225 Wonderland Road North.

1986 The Library stopped lending 16 mm films. The circulation of books exceeded 2,000,000 for the first time.

June 25, 1986 The Argyle Branch Library relocated from the Argyle Mall to the Eastwood Plaza and was renamed the Eastwood Centre Branch Library.

December 1986 The Centennial Museum closed.

1987 The lending of video cassettes which replaced the 16mm films began

January 1987 The London Public Library Board and the London Regional Art Gallery Board entered into a two-year trial period of cooperatively managing museum services.

July 1, 1987 The Children’s Library rejoined the Central Library after almost twelve years in Branch services.

1988 The lending of compact discs began.

January 1, 1989 The library’s museum division separated from the library board and merged with the London Regional Art Gallery to become the London Regional Art and Historical Museums.

November 30, 1989 The bookmobile service ended.

December 14, 1989 Westminster Branch Library closed permanently.

December 30, 1989 White Oaks Branch Library closed permanently.

1990 Westown became the first full service branch with six full-time staff.

March 1990 The Pond Mills Branch Library opened at 1166 Commissioners Road East in the Pond Mills Plaza Mall to replace the Westminster Branch Library.

April 1990 The Jalna Branch Library opened at 1119 Jalna Boulevard to replace the White Oaks Branch Library.

1991 A new building was erected for the Lambeth Library.1992 Friends of the London Public Library was founded.

1993 Access, the library’s publication of library events and news, began distribution through the London Free Press and circulation increased from 8,000 to 86,000.

January 1, 1993 With annexation, the Library acquired its fourteenth and fifteenth branch libraries - Glanworth and Lambeth.

1994 Telefact, a telephone reference service, began.The GEAC Advance online public access catalogue replaced the CD-ROM public service catalogue.

September 1995 The Broughdale Branch Library closed.

October 14, 1995 The sixteenth branch, Masonville Branch Library opened at 30 North Centre Road.

September 16, 1998 The Employment Resource Centre opened at the Beacock Branch Library.

February 8, 2000 It was announced that the Central Library would be relocating to the former Hudson’s Bay Department Store at 251 Dundas Street - in effect returning to its roots with the former Mechanics Institute building still standing next door at 231 Dundas Street.

February 5, 2001 The exterior facade, foyer and central hall of the former Central Library at 205 Queens Avenue was designated a heritage building by the city of London.

August 25, 2002 The Central Library opened at 251 Dundas Street.

September 21, 2002 The new Westmount Branch Library opened at 3200 Wonderland Road South.

February 1, 2003 Dr. Keith Crouch unveiled a plaque honouring his father, Richard Crouch at the opening of the new Crouch Branch Library.

April 13, 2005 Anne Becker becomes the tenth chief executive of the London Public Library and the first woman to occupy the position. "'August 29, 2005"' The former Centennial Museum building was demolished.

September 24, 2005 The new East London Branch Library opened at 2016 Dundas Street to replace the former Eastwood Branch Library.

External links

* [http://londonpubliclibrary.ca/ London Public Library Webpage and Catalogue]
* [http://flickr.com/photos/londonpubliclibrary/ London Public Library Photos]
* [http://myspace.com/teenannex London Public Library MySpace Page]