The Public Library of Kentucky

The Public Library of Kentucky was opened to the public April 27, 1872 inside the Central Market building in downtown Louisville, Kentucky, United States. The library consisted of thousands of volumes of books, an art gallery and a museum.

History

Since 1816, Louisville, a frontier metropolis, fought to establish a public library for its citizens. Louisville native Reuben T. Durrett helped to create the Public Library of Kentucky. He was appointed president of the library. In early 1872 Paul Allan Towne was hired as the librarian.

Louisville finally achieved its goal of opening its first free public library. Books were accumulated through defunct libraries, and placed in its collection. The building's name was changed to Library Hall. This four-story building, located on Fourth Street, offered spaces for the library, museum, classrooms and Festival Hall. It also rented out spaces to help accumulate finances for the library. The vision of the museum was grand, and it was meant to rival the British Museum. Many expanses were paid out to fill the museum and art gallery with history and art from around the world. In 1873, the library purchased the building it occupied.

The Panic of 1873 hit Louisville just like other cities around the world. After many financial complications, one due to a lottery scandal, the library was forced to close in 1875. On April 3, 1875, the Board of Trustees created a resolution to hand over the library and its assets to the librarian, Paul Allen Towne.[1] The library carried with it a debt of $30,000, with $5,000 of fees due to attorneys from the lottery suit.

Towne created a new society made up of citizens of Louisville to save the library. In 1877, the Library of Kentucky and all its assets, were handed over to Towne's Polytechnic Society of Kentucky.

New management

On May 22, 1878, the Polytechnic Society of Kentucky agreed to pay the debt. Under new management and debt-free, the library reopened. However, many improvements were needed to keep the library moving forward. The building and its books needed maintenance, and the membership to the society was low. These issues would continue until the end of the 19th century.

Louisville gets a working library

In 1902, Mayor Grainger created the library with financial help from the Scottish Rite and a grant from Andrew Carnegie. Together, the Polytechnic Society and the Free Public Library would work side by side. The future of the Public Library of Kentucky would evolve into the Louisville Free Public Library. The library would manage the books, and the society would manage the museum, events, and lectures.

In 1907, the library moved out of the Polytechnic Society-Kaufman-Straus Building on Fourth Street, to the new location on York Street. In 1908, the new library was finally opened to the public.

Founders

References

  1. ↑ Breyer, William (1944). Libraries and Lotteries: A History of the Louisville Free Public Library. Cynthiana, Kentucky: The Hobson Book Press. p. 50.
  • Breyer, W. R., & Kinkade, E. L. (1944). Libraries and lotteries: a history of the Louisville free public library. Cynthiana, KY: Hobson Press.

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