Library History
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Whiting Public Library
Library History |
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Interior Photographs of the Whiting Public Library 1906
Andrew Carnegie's Gift That Keeps on Giving
The Whiting Public Library opened its doors to the public at its present location on July 31, 1906. Its two major benefactors were the Standard Oil Company which donated the land for the library and Andrew Carnegie, a steel tycoon, whose donation paid for three-quarters of the cost of the building. To this day the cornerstone of the building proudly wears the inscription "the gift of Andrew Carnegie - A.D. 1905."
The citizens of Whiting approached Carnegie for help in building the city's first library and were rewarded with a gift of $15,000. Standard Oil Company (AMOCO) donated the land for the building site. The original building was designed by Paul Moratz, an architect from Bloomington, Illinois. Mr. Reese of Bloomington was named as the contractor. Construction began in 1905, and its doors opened to the public on July 31, 1906. The original structure housed a large rotunda for the circulation desk, behind which were 6 double-faced stacks. From the rotunda, library patrons could pass through arched doorways to the adult reading and reference room to the north, or the children's room to the south. In 1906 the library's entire collection consisted of 2,588 volumes.
The Whiting Public Library has gone through many changes since it first opened its doors to the public. The collection grew from its original 2,588 volumes to 16,000 volumes by 1913. In an effort to accommodate its burgeoning collection, the library began its 1st major remodeling project in 1915. The height of the stacks was increased to 2 stories and a balcony was added to the rotunda which would provide space for an additional 19,000 volumes. An auditorium equipped to seat 150 was added to the basement, complete with a player piano, for lectures and social occasions. In 1926 the library was once again transformed due to overcrowding. The auditorium was replaced with a children's department to allow for additional space on the main floor. The library would maintain this look for the next 55 years. By the 1960s, the library's collection had increased to 52,000 volumes in a structure originally designed to accommodate 2,588 and it became clear that something needed to be done.
Rallied by community support and tireless effort given by the library trustees, this historical building kept its original structure. Thanks to the frugal fiscal policies adopted by the Library Board of Trustees, the entire project was paid for in cash.
The expansion and renovation, which maintained much of the architecture and spirit of the original Carnegie building, began in 1980 and was completed in 1982. Since the renovation, this beautifully landscaped modern facility has provided many programs for numerous citizens and community groups and it has provided them with a functional and aesthetic meeting space countless times.
Today, the Whiting Public Library has 23,000 square feet including a spacious children's department which hosts a wide variety of children's programs, a meeting room which seats 100, typing rooms, word processing terminals and a study room for small groups. Its collection consists of over 101,964 volumes, as well as audio books, CDs, videotapes, DVDs, CD-Roms, newspapers, and magazines, and it has over 6,726 registered borrowers. On-line-public-access terminals (OPACs) have replaced the once indispensable card catalogues, and the Library also provides its patrons with access to the information super highway. So much has changed and yet, one only need stroll past the Whiting Public Library to get a glimpse of the past and gain an understanding of the historical value of one of Whiting's most prized possessions.
This is a Photograph of The Whiting Public Library's First Librarians
