Strathcona Library: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 01:57, 18 November 2010

Revision as of 23:45, 18 November 2010

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In 1897, the Strathcona Library Society was formed, with the idea to build a public library in the young city of [[Strathcona, Alberta|Strathcona]]. In 1910, a petition from citizens was eventually presented to the city council, officially requesting the construction of the library. The city quickly bought up the land for $6,250 from a local farmer, and organized the Strathcona Library Board. The American philanthropist [[Andrew Carnegie]] eventually offered the city $15,000 to build a small, standardized library. However, the board did not feel this would provide the library they were hoping to build, and they declined Carnegie's offer. Costs for the new library were eventually paid for as part of the agreement when Strathcona and Edmonton amalgamated in 1912.<ref name="rewedmonton">[http://www.rewedmonton.ca/content_view_rew?CONTENT_ID=2961 http://www.rewedmonton.ca/content_view_rew?CONTENT_ID=2961]</ref>

Construction began in 1912, and the new library was opened on March 13, 1913 by ex-Strathcona Mayor John Joseph Duggan and Edmonton Mayor William Short. Final cost of the library was approximately $27,000. The library was extremely popular upon opening, and boasted an extremely impressive circulation for the size of Edmonton at the time. The first minor renovation was completed in 1948, which converted the original men's-only reading room in the basement into a children's library.<ref name="rewedmonton"/>

The post-WWII years, however, saw a sharp decline in usage as Edmonton rapidly expanded outward in the post-war boom, and [[Old Strathcona]] began to fall into disrepair and decline. The completion of the much larger and more modern [[Stanley A. Milner Library|Stanley A. Milner central library]] downtown in 1967 further perpetuated this decline. By the late 1960s, the aging and poorly-maintained building began to require significant upkeep costs. The director of Edmonton Public Library attempted to close the branch in 1970. Although the closure was defeated by public opposition, the structural decline of the building meant the second floor could no longer support the weight of books, and the branch's collection and hours of operation were severely cut.