The idea of creating a public library belonged to the Dallas Federation of Women’s Clubs, namely Mrs. May Dickson, who was the head of the organization. The city had multiple libraries at the time, but they were all fee-based. Many activists believed that the establishment of a free public library could contribute to the city’s development and reputation. May Dickson was the main force behind the implementation of this idea, and she worked tirelessly to make it happen. Continue reading at dallas1.one.
Fundraising and construction
Many public leaders and activists have come together to address the issue of missing availability of a free library. According to an article published in the Dallas Morning News, the absence of a free library confused tourists and humiliated residents of the city. Soon after, the newspaper, with the help of Dallas philanthropists and ordinary citizens, raised about $12,000 for the library’s construction in a matter of a few months. Mrs. Dickson also sought assistance from American steel magnate Andrew Carnegie, who made a $50,000 contribution to the project.
Dallas’ first public library opened on October 22, 1901, in a two-story facility on the junction of Commerce and Harwood streets. The ground floor housed a book collection of 9,852 volumes, while the second floor housed Carnegie Hall and the art room, which also served as Dallas’ first public art gallery and subsequently evolved into the contemporary Dallas Museum of Art.
Extension of the library
The Dallas Carnegie Public Library was in high demand from the start, and within a few years, it needed to expand. Then, in 1914, the Oak Cliff Branch opened in the city, thanks to the financial support of the same philanthropist, Andrew Carnegie.
Even while the country was going through hard times, the library’s development persisted. When the Great Depression hit in the 1930s, the library established four new branches, including the Paul Laurence Dunbar Library, the first to serve Dallas’ African-American community. Another branch was the Sanger Library, which largely served the Jewish population living in South Dallas at the time.
Introduction of the bookmobile
The first bookmobile for the library was purchased by the Dallas Federation of Women’s Clubs. The vehicle was used to carry books between branches as well as to deliver books to locations where citizens did not have access to the library.
By 1950, a local activity group had created an organization named Friends of the Dallas Public Library to help the library’s operations. A few months later, this organization acquired a second bookmobile. They also launched a successful campaign to raise funding for a new library in the city center. Another initiative was to establish a separate storage facility for expensive and rare books.
Renovating the library
In 1954, the original Carnegie Library was taken down owing to its poor condition, and a contemporary six-story structure with 433,000 books was erected in its place. During construction, the library was temporarily relocated to the city’s Union Station train depot.
Modern structure
In 1972, the city allocated a 114,000-square-foot site for the construction of a new Central Library, which opened in 1982. It was one of the country’s first libraries to offer an online file system. Following that, the STAR computer system was developed, allowing users to access a range of electronic databases as well as the Internet.
In 1986, the library was renamed the Jon Erik Jonsson Central Library in honor of the former mayor who played an important role in its establishment.