Dallas Public Library
Encyclopedia
The Dallas Public Library system serves as the municipal library system of the city of Dallas
, Texas
(USA
).
. She helped raise US$
11,000 from gifts from public school teachers, local businessmen, and A. H. Belo
of The Dallas Morning News
.
The library became a reality when Mrs. Exall requested and received a US$
50,000 grant from philanthropist and steel giant Andrew Carnegie
to construct the first library building in Dallas. On 30 October 1901, the Carnegie library opened at the corner of Harwood and Commerce streets with a head librarian, three assistants, and 9,852 volumes. The first story held the entire collection; the second floor held the Carnegie Hall auditorium and an Art Room. The art room was the first public art gallery in Dallas and eventually became what is known today as the Dallas Museum of Art
.
An Oak Cliff
branch opened in 1914 to serve the citizens of the area, annexed into Dallas in 1903. Four more branches opened in the 1930s including the Paul Lawrence Dunbar Library, which was the first to serve the African American
population of Dallas.
In World War II
, the library was fully established as a War Information Center. By 1950, the library resources and facilities were stretched to the limit, so supporters formed an auxiliary organization called the Friends of the Dallas Public Library to lobby for better library services.
By the 1950s the Carnegie Library was badly deteriorating and overcrowded, and a new modern library was built on the same site. During construction, the Library was housed temporarily on the mezzanine of Union Station
. The new building, now known as Old Dallas Central Library
, had room for over 400,000 volumes and opened in 1954.
During the 1960s and 1970s, the Dallas Public Library added 17 branches to the system. In 1962, Lillian Bradshaw was named Library Director, the first woman to head a department in the City of Dallas, marking a milestone in the civil rights
and women's liberation movements of that era. Days after she was put into office, she faced a censorship
push from a Dallas council-member, but the community and media rallied to her defense. The City Council, in response, overwhelmingly approved her appointment and passed a resolution not to censor books purchased by the library.
By the 1970s, the Central Library had again become overloaded and was unequipped to handle emerging technology. (This was partly a result of the federal Library Services and Construction Act
, which had enabled the addition of an unexpected number of volumes to the collection in a relatively short period of time.) In 1972, the City selected a 114000 square feet (10,590.9 m²) site at Young and Ervay across from the Dallas City Hall
for a new central library facility. In 1982, the technologically sophisticated structure opened its doors. It was one of the first libraries in the nation to include an Online Public Access Catalog (OPAC) and state-of-the-art audiovisual capabilities. It was renamed the J. Erik Jonsson Central Library
in 1986 in honor of the former mayor who played a large role in the library system's development.
In 1996 the Library implemented the STAR computer system, which allowed patrons to access a multitude of electronic databases and the Internet
.
By the 2000s, the system had 27 branch locations with over 2.5 million volumes, including books, magazines, videos, and cassettes. The system currently attracts 2.8 million visitors per year and has 540,000 cardholders who check out more than 3.8 million books and other materials per year. The Library also operates a "Library on Wheels" Mobile Learning Center to service Dallas communities.
The library operates 25 branch locations throughout the city, and an 8-story main branch, the J. Erik Jonsson Central Library
, in the Government District of downtown
. It also operates the Bookmarks Children's Library located in Northpark Mall.
The groundbreaking ceremony for the new Prairie Creek Branch Library was held on Saturday January 9, 2010 and the new White Rock Hills Branch is expected to open in Spring 2012
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
(USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
).
History
In 1899, the idea to create a free public library in Dallas was conceived by the Dallas Federation of Women's Clubs, led by president Mrs. Henry (May Dickson) ExallMay Dickson Exall
May Dickson Exall was an American civic leader and co-founder of the Dallas Public Library and the Dallas Museum of Fine Arts .-References:...
. She helped raise US$
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
11,000 from gifts from public school teachers, local businessmen, and A. H. Belo
A. H. Belo
A. H. Belo Corporation is a Dallas-based media company that owns four daily newspapers and five smaller newspapers. The current corporation was formed when Belo Corporation separated its broadcasting and publishing operations into two corporations. A. H. Belo also owns a part interest in...
of The Dallas Morning News
The Dallas Morning News
The Dallas Morning News is the major daily newspaper serving the Dallas, Texas area, with a circulation of 264,459 subscribers, the Audit Bureau of Circulations reported in September 2010...
.
The library became a reality when Mrs. Exall requested and received a US$
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
50,000 grant from philanthropist and steel giant Andrew Carnegie
Andrew Carnegie
Andrew Carnegie was a Scottish-American industrialist, businessman, and entrepreneur who led the enormous expansion of the American steel industry in the late 19th century...
to construct the first library building in Dallas. On 30 October 1901, the Carnegie library opened at the corner of Harwood and Commerce streets with a head librarian, three assistants, and 9,852 volumes. The first story held the entire collection; the second floor held the Carnegie Hall auditorium and an Art Room. The art room was the first public art gallery in Dallas and eventually became what is known today as the Dallas Museum of Art
Dallas Museum of Art
The Dallas Museum of Art is a major art museum located in the Arts District of downtown Dallas, Texas, USA, along Woodall Rodgers Freeway between St. Paul and Harwood. In 1984, the museum moved from its previous location in Fair Park to the Arts District, Dallas, Texas...
.
An Oak Cliff
Oak Cliff
Oak Cliff is a community in Dallas, Texas, United States that was formerly a separate town located in Dallas County; Dallas annexed Oak Cliff in 1903...
branch opened in 1914 to serve the citizens of the area, annexed into Dallas in 1903. Four more branches opened in the 1930s including the Paul Lawrence Dunbar Library, which was the first to serve the African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
population of Dallas.
In World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the library was fully established as a War Information Center. By 1950, the library resources and facilities were stretched to the limit, so supporters formed an auxiliary organization called the Friends of the Dallas Public Library to lobby for better library services.
By the 1950s the Carnegie Library was badly deteriorating and overcrowded, and a new modern library was built on the same site. During construction, the Library was housed temporarily on the mezzanine of Union Station
Union Station (Dallas)
Union Station, also known as Dallas Union Terminal, is a DART Light Rail, commuter rail, and Amtrak intercity rail station located in the Reunion district of downtown Dallas, Texas on Houston Street, between Wood and Young Streets...
. The new building, now known as Old Dallas Central Library
Old Dallas Central Library
The former Dallas Public Library, now known as Old Dallas Central Library, is a multi-level civic structure located at 1954 Commerce Street in downtown Dallas, Texas . It is located on the edge of the Farmers Market District and adjacent to Main Street Garden Park...
, had room for over 400,000 volumes and opened in 1954.
Growth: 1960 to 2000
Civil rights
Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.Civil rights include...
and women's liberation movements of that era. Days after she was put into office, she faced a censorship
Censorship
thumb|[[Book burning]] following the [[1973 Chilean coup d'état|1973 coup]] that installed the [[Military government of Chile |Pinochet regime]] in Chile...
push from a Dallas council-member, but the community and media rallied to her defense. The City Council, in response, overwhelmingly approved her appointment and passed a resolution not to censor books purchased by the library.
By the 1970s, the Central Library had again become overloaded and was unequipped to handle emerging technology. (This was partly a result of the federal Library Services and Construction Act
Library Services and Construction Act
The Library Services and Construction Act, enacted in 1962 by the U.S. Congress, provides federal assistance to libraries in the United States for the purpose of improving or implementing library services or undertaking construction projects.-Aim:...
, which had enabled the addition of an unexpected number of volumes to the collection in a relatively short period of time.) In 1972, the City selected a 114000 square feet (10,590.9 m²) site at Young and Ervay across from the Dallas City Hall
Dallas City Hall
Dallas City Hall is the seat of Dallas municipal government, located at 1500 Marilla in the Government District of downtown Dallas, Texas...
for a new central library facility. In 1982, the technologically sophisticated structure opened its doors. It was one of the first libraries in the nation to include an Online Public Access Catalog (OPAC) and state-of-the-art audiovisual capabilities. It was renamed the J. Erik Jonsson Central Library
J. Erik Jonsson Central Library
The J. Erik Jonsson Central Library is the Main Library of the Dallas Public Library system. It is located at 1515 Young Street in the Government District of downtown Dallas, Texas, directly across from Dallas City Hall.- About :...
in 1986 in honor of the former mayor who played a large role in the library system's development.
In 1996 the Library implemented the STAR computer system, which allowed patrons to access a multitude of electronic databases and the Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
.
By the 2000s, the system had 27 branch locations with over 2.5 million volumes, including books, magazines, videos, and cassettes. The system currently attracts 2.8 million visitors per year and has 540,000 cardholders who check out more than 3.8 million books and other materials per year. The Library also operates a "Library on Wheels" Mobile Learning Center to service Dallas communities.
Branches
J. Erik Jonsson Central Library
The J. Erik Jonsson Central Library is the Main Library of the Dallas Public Library system. It is located at 1515 Young Street in the Government District of downtown Dallas, Texas, directly across from Dallas City Hall.- About :...
, in the Government District of downtown
Downtown Dallas
Downtown Dallas is the Central Business District in Dallas, Texas USA, located in the geographic center of the city. The area termed "Downtown" has traditionally been defined as bounded by the downtown freeway loop: bounded on the east by I-345 Downtown Dallas is the Central Business District...
. It also operates the Bookmarks Children's Library located in Northpark Mall.
- Arcadia Park Branch Library in West DallasWest DallasWest Dallas is an area consisting of many communities and neighborhoods in Dallas, Texas . West Dallas is the area bounded by Interstate 30 on the south, the Trinity River on the east and north, and the Trinity River's West Fork on the west....
- Audelia Road Branch Library in Lake HighlandsLake HighlandsLake Highlands is an area in Dallas, Texas . It is located in the northeast portion of the city, and is sometimes considered to be a part of, or connected to, East Dallas and/or North Dallas...
- Dallas West Branch Library in West DallasWest DallasWest Dallas is an area consisting of many communities and neighborhoods in Dallas, Texas . West Dallas is the area bounded by Interstate 30 on the south, the Trinity River on the east and north, and the Trinity River's West Fork on the west....
- Forest Green Branch Library in Lake HighlandsLake HighlandsLake Highlands is an area in Dallas, Texas . It is located in the northeast portion of the city, and is sometimes considered to be a part of, or connected to, East Dallas and/or North Dallas...
- Fretz Park Branch Library in North DallasNorth DallasNorth Dallas is an expensive area of numerous communities and neighborhoods in Dallas, Texas . The phrase "North Dallas" is also sometimes used to include any suburb or exurb north of Dallas proper within the metropolitan area. The majority of North Dallas is located in Dallas County while a small...
- Grauwyler Park Branch Library in Dallas
- Hampton-Illinois Branch Library in Oak CliffOak CliffOak Cliff is a community in Dallas, Texas, United States that was formerly a separate town located in Dallas County; Dallas annexed Oak Cliff in 1903...
- Highland Hills Branch Library in the Highland HillsHighland Hills, Dallas, TexasHighland Hills is a neighborhood in Oak Cliff area of Dallas, Texas . The neighborhood is centered around the intersection of Bonnie View and Simpson Stuart Roads.- Education :The neighborhood is served by the Dallas Independent School District...
neighborhood of South DallasSouth DallasSouth Dallas is an area in Dallas, Texas, . It is usually either defined in one of two ways: As the area south of the Trinity River and south of Interstate 30, which consist mostly of Oak Cliff and Pleasant Grove, or to the area bounded by I-30 and Downtown Dallas to the north, the Trinity River to... - Kleberg-Rylie Branch Library in KlebergKleberg, Dallas, TexasKleberg is an area in southeast Dallas, Texas, United States that was formerly an unincorporated community in Dallas County.-History:In 1956 Kleberg incorporated as a city. By 1970 4,510 people lived in Kleberg and three businesses resided in Kleberg. By 1978 Kleberg was the largest town in Texas...
in far Southeast Dallas - Lochwood (formally Casa View)
- Lakewood Branch Library in Lakewood
- Martin Luther King, Jr. Library and Learning Center near Fair ParkFair ParkDallas Fair Park is a recreational and educational complex located in Dallas, Texas . The complex is registered as a Dallas Landmark, National Historic Landmark and is home to nine museums, six performance facilities, a lagoon, and the largest Ferris wheel in North America...
- Mountain Creek Branch Library in Mountain Creek
- North Oak Cliff Branch Library in Oak CliffOak CliffOak Cliff is a community in Dallas, Texas, United States that was formerly a separate town located in Dallas County; Dallas annexed Oak Cliff in 1903...
- Oak Lawn Branch Library in Oak Lawn
- Park Forest Branch Library in North DallasNorth DallasNorth Dallas is an expensive area of numerous communities and neighborhoods in Dallas, Texas . The phrase "North Dallas" is also sometimes used to include any suburb or exurb north of Dallas proper within the metropolitan area. The majority of North Dallas is located in Dallas County while a small...
- Paul Laurence Dunbar Lancaster-Kiest Branch Library in South DallasSouth DallasSouth Dallas is an area in Dallas, Texas, . It is usually either defined in one of two ways: As the area south of the Trinity River and south of Interstate 30, which consist mostly of Oak Cliff and Pleasant Grove, or to the area bounded by I-30 and Downtown Dallas to the north, the Trinity River to...
- Pleasant Grove Branch Library in Pleasant GrovePleasant Grove, Dallas, TexasPleasant Grove is an area in southeastern Dallas, Texas. It is located in the southeast portion of Dallas less than 15 minutes from Downtown Dallas....
- Polk-Wisdom Branch Library in Southwest Dallas
- Preston Royal Branch Library in North DallasNorth DallasNorth Dallas is an expensive area of numerous communities and neighborhoods in Dallas, Texas . The phrase "North Dallas" is also sometimes used to include any suburb or exurb north of Dallas proper within the metropolitan area. The majority of North Dallas is located in Dallas County while a small...
- Renner Frankford Branch Library in RennerRenner, Dallas, TexasRenner is a section of Dallas, Texas within southwestern Collin County that was once a distinct rural community and housed the center of a nonprofit agricultural research organization....
in Far North DallasFar North DallasFar North Dallas is the section of the city of Dallas, Texas which extends north of the Lyndon B. Johnson Freeway.... - Skillman Southwestern Branch Library in East DallasEast DallasEast Dallas comprises many communities and neighborhoods in Dallas, Texas, .- Neighborhoods :*Baylor/Meadows*Belmont*Hilltop*Bryan Place*Buckner Terrace*East Grand*Casa Linda Estates*Cochran Heights*Casa View*Claremont*Deep Ellum*Eastwood...
- Skyline Branch Library in East DallasEast DallasEast Dallas comprises many communities and neighborhoods in Dallas, Texas, .- Neighborhoods :*Baylor/Meadows*Belmont*Hilltop*Bryan Place*Buckner Terrace*East Grand*Casa Linda Estates*Cochran Heights*Casa View*Claremont*Deep Ellum*Eastwood...
- Timberglen Branch Library in Far North DallasFar North DallasFar North Dallas is the section of the city of Dallas, Texas which extends north of the Lyndon B. Johnson Freeway....
- Walnut Hill Branch Library in North DallasNorth DallasNorth Dallas is an expensive area of numerous communities and neighborhoods in Dallas, Texas . The phrase "North Dallas" is also sometimes used to include any suburb or exurb north of Dallas proper within the metropolitan area. The majority of North Dallas is located in Dallas County while a small...
The groundbreaking ceremony for the new Prairie Creek Branch Library was held on Saturday January 9, 2010 and the new White Rock Hills Branch is expected to open in Spring 2012