Whether you’re in need of a book to read at night, a movie to watch with a loved one, or simply a place to be productive during the day, you know that you can count on the Rochester Public Library. While many Rochester natives know the incredible value it provides for the community today, not everyone knows about the institution’s rich history. Dating back over 125 years, the Rochester Public Library has been serving the community since the 1800s!
The Beginning of Rochester’s Library
When you look at all of the wonderful things the library offers today, it becomes even more incredible when you realize that it started out from a humble launch of just $1,000. Interested subscribers to the library service funded the purchase of the initial allotment of books that were then stored at a local store. Although the library initially raised all of its own funds for continued operation, the city council began allotting $200 to the project each year in 1896.
Founding the Rochester Public Library
When state statutes were established in 1985 that allowed for the organization of public libraries, Burt W. Eaton began a push to formalize the Rochester Public Library. The initial location for the new library was inside of the city hall, where a full-time librarian was brought on to manage and maintain the library. Although the prior library association still maintained ownership rights to the collection of books at launch, they were formally transferred to the property of the new library in July of that year. In its inaugural year, the library contained 3,318 volumes, with over 10,000 loans made during the year.
Expanding Access in the Community
With the library now an established part of the Rochester community, focus soon shifted to increasing access to more and more citizens of Rochester.
One of the earliest ideas for expanding access was the implementation of a bookmobile to bring a portion of the collection around the county, including into the rural communities just outside of town. While the idea took over two decades to come to fruition after it was first conceived under the stewardship of librarian Lucille Gottry, the first Rochester Public Library bookmobile was put into action on October 24, 1966. It carried a rotating collection of 5,000 books for both adults and children.
While the bookmobile may have been one of the biggest changes in access, it was not the only way, or even the first way, that library staff sought to broaden their reach. As early as 1905, the library began offering loan packages to local schoolteachers to help their students learn. Then, they provided a small collection to be housed at the schools because there were no school libraries at the time. In 1920, the library even began sending out a “story lady” to perform readings for local schoolchildren to share the wonders that wait inside of books.
Growing with the Times
One area where the library has seen the most change throughout the years is in the physical area that it occupied. After its early stints in the local store and city hall, the library was able to open its first official location in 1898. The red stone building cost $15,000, including a generous $5,000 bequeathal from a local artist, and served as the library’s home for nearly 40 years.
The library’s next home played host to patrons from 1937 until 1972, at which point the old J.C. Penney building on First Street became the new location for the library, with interior renovations continuing for years to come following its grand opening.
If you visit the Rochester Public Library today, you’ll be visiting the latest construction, which opened to the public on October 4, 1995, in the library’s 100th year. The project took 18 months from groundbreaking to grand opening. There was a one-month period where the library’s bookmobile took on added importance because the old facility was closed down and the final touches were still being put on the new building.
Moving Into the Modern Era
With the move into the new facility, the library also began to transition into the modern facility you know and love today. It made its web debut in 1997 with a homepage, and just two years later, it moved over to an online-based card catalog system, aided by the installation of a new suite of computers. Another amenity you may be surprised to learn is not as old as you think is Sunday availability, which also only came into being in 1997.
Since the move, the library has also been able to expand outreach efforts, including resources catering to the local Somali residents. Other accessibility improvements include new structures and layouts designed to make the available books and other loanable products easier to access for those with physical disabilities.
The Rochester Public Library Foundation
In order to help the library keep up with increasing demand, the Library Board created the Rochester Public Library Foundation in April of 1996 to help raise the funds the library needed without requiring an increase in public contributions. The Foundation received a generous $25,000 donation later that year, with an additional $20,000 raised in a charity auction in 1997. Former First Lady Barbara Bush even spoke at the benefit luncheon.
The Mayo Clinic has also played a crucial role in funding the Foundation, beginning with a $250,000 endowment in November 2002, backed up by five years of matching the first $50,000 donated to the Foundation each year.
The Foundation now participates in a number of charitable drives to help raise money for the library, most notably the Wit Wisdom and Wine gala. Event guests are treated to speeches from a variety of knowledgeable speakers while enjoying some delicious food and wine. The “Amuzing Race” is a summertime event — based on “The Amazing Race” reality TV show — where teams go on a scavenger hunt around Rochester. This event helps to earn even more charitable donations and further engage with the community.
The Rochester Public Library is a Rochester institution that has served our community for over a hundred years. Here at Tom Kadlec Kia, we are all about spreading the word about all those who help to make Rochester the special place that it is. If you’ve taken advantage of the incredible services the library offers to the community, we would love to hear about it. Reach out or drop a reply in the comments and let us know how the Rochester Public Library has brightened your days!
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