Your Library first opened on May 1, 1895, which means we’re officially turning 130 years old! As this milestone approaches, we’ve been reflecting on our origin story. We’re proud of our century-old history, because our modern day values and priorities can be found embedded even in the Library’s earliest stories.
It all started in 1893, when three Johnson City women who were part of a five-member reading circle made the trek to Chicago for the World’s Fair (Columbian Exposition). These women were so inspired by the art and culture they experienced that when they returned home they decided to use their reading club as a space to educate themselves.
By August 1894, the women of the reading circle decided they needed a library to aid in their learning. In the months that followed, establishing a library became the group’s passion project, and they began to organize more formally. In early 1895, the group officially became the “Monday Club,” and they voted for the well-known Johnson City socialite Ida P. Harris to serve as their first president. (Fun fact: the Monday Club still exists today and meets twice a month at the library!)
Ida M. Crandall, one of the three women who attended the Chicago World’s Fair, described it this way:
The Monday Club was organized for the study of Art, History, and Literature in general. The lack of reference books brought about our determination to found a library. Each member of the club wished it, and were a unit to this.”
The Monday Club opened its library in the upstairs room of the Reeves Building in downtown Johnson City on May 1, 1895, and the very first version of Johnson City Public Library was born. It was originally a subscription-based library, with an annual fee of $1. In the first year, 50 members joined.
The library was completely run by volunteer women for the first several years. These remarkably dedicated women did everything: selecting and soliciting books, providing furnishings, planning fundraisers, writing rules, and maintaining membership records.
In the years that followed, the library became an integral part of Johnson City’s social life. The women who were instrumental in its formation were active and impressive members of the community. Values that motivated them to start a library, such as education and community involvement, are still foundational values of your Library today.
Johnson City Public Library has experienced many iterations since its founding in 1895. In the last 130 years, we have occupied several different locations in downtown Johnson City.
Click here to read more about other eras of our history.
The current building (100 West Millard Street) is 42,000 square feet. We circulate an average of 455,000 items a year and host around 18,000 visitors every month. Our collections have steadily grown throughout the last 130 years, today totaling over 136,000 items.
As we prepare for our 130th birthday on May 1, we’ve been reflecting on the Library’s founding mothers. Could they have imagined the impact that their efforts and dedication would have over a century later? Our historical records show that these pioneering women did muse about where their endeavors would lead.
In a 1904 report, Monday Club President Nettie C. Harman wrote:
Any story…must start at the beginning, so perhaps our humble efforts, while sometimes ludicrous and sometimes a little pathetic, may at least serve as a small part of the beginning of a story of real accomplishment in later years, one in which we all feel a sincere and justifiable pride, humbly claiming a small part of the honor because we were a small part of the beginning.”
The Monday Club women were dreamers determined to bring something new into existence, something that would empower them, and by extension, their community. We owe them a debt of gratitude.
130th Birthday Celebration
Please join us Thursday, May 1 from 6-7:30 p.m. for a 130th Birthday Celebration at the Library! You can get all the details about the event here.
We’re also hosting an exhibit about our storied history throughout the month of May. Visit the Library’s Galleria to learn about our 130-year past through historical photographs, clippings, and artifacts.
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