WCPL Wooster Main

Main Branch (Wooster, Ohio)

Wooster Libraries: The Beginning

Historical record shows the existence of a library on the second story of the Saiebens store building (pictured left).

The early history about the first library in Wooster isn't well recorded. The exact date of the founding of the first Wooster library is unknown. Prior to 1857, some type of library association was in existence although the records do not provide information on its location or members. A group of Wooster residents first discussed the formation of a Wooster library at a school house meeting in 1857.

Wooster citizens met at the school house of Subdistrict One on March 7, 1857 and formally organized the Wooster Library Association. They chose a board of directors; four individuals who were already serving as directors of the old organization. The association housed its collection of history and reference books in the law offices of M. Bonewitz on Liberty Street.

In the late 1890s, records also show a library on the second floor of a clothing store—Saibenes "Clothes for Kiddies"—on East Liberty and Buckeye.

Planning for the Wooster Free Library began in 1897. In 1900, the Board of Education levied a tax and raised $500 to start a reading room.

Carnegie Library

Wooster's 1905 "Carnegie" library.

When Andrew Carnegie gave the College of Wooster money to rebuild buildings destroyed in a fire, the Library committee asked for financial help to build a new library. After some negotiation, Carnegie agreed to contribute $15,000.

A site was purchased at the corner of Market and Larwill Streets, and construction began. The building was designed by architect Vernon Redding and built by John King. The building was completed in 1905 for a total cost of $22,300. It was never officially named a Carnegie library despite Carnegie's funding.

To access funds from the intangible taxes, the Library was put under the authority of the City School Board.

By 1911, the Library collection had grown to over 6,300 books and a card catalog was in place. A museum on the second floor of the Library officially opened in 1918. It housed many relics and archeological specimens from Wayne County. It remained opened until 1958 when it was moved to the Wayne County Historical Society.

During World War I, the Library collaborated with the College of Wooster Library to send books to the soldiers in camps in North Carolina, Virginia, and New Jersey.

Not so fun fact: In 1918 the Spanish Influenza spread across Europe and came to the United States with returning WWI soldiers. Due to illness, that October the Library was only open 7 days, 19 days in November, and was closed all of December and January.

Larwill St. Library

An architect's rendering of Wooster's Larwill St. library.

By the 1960s, Wooster's population had increased from 5,000 to 7,000 and the Library no longer had the room to operate. The weight of books had the floors buckling and the bookmobile was loaded from a basement window.

The new Library was to be built on the site of the old Carnegie Library. The Carnegie Library was torn down in 1966 to begin construction of the new Library on the same lot. The Library collection was temporarily relocated to the Crater Motor Building and remained there until March of 1967. Freeman Construction was selected as general contractor and the building was designed by the Akron architectural firm, Tuchman and Canute. This Library operated until 2007.

WCPL's Larwill St. facility in Wooster.

The Larwill building was partially renovated in the first half of 2008 to serve as the new Operations Center, previously located in the basement of the Wayne Metro Housing building on Market St. The new renovation also features a larger garage and working areas for the Bookmobile Department, eliminating the need for rented garage and storage space. This new center also houses the Finance, IT, Human Resources, Publicity, Maintenance and the Technical Services (TS) Department. The TS Department handles the purchasing, cataloging, and inventory of all materials in the WCPL system.

Liberty St. Library

The current Wooster Library on Liberty St.

Commemorated June 23, 2007, the new Liberty Street Library was build as an upgrade to the aging Larwill location. A groundbreaking ceremony for the $10 million construction took place on June 17, 2006. The larger location features far more room for continued growth, as well as improved facilities for public use. More parking, study rooms, reading areas, more public computer terminals, meeting rooms, as well as a large children's area were added.

Fun Fact: On Christmas Eve 1991 at 10:45am, the WCPL circulated its 1 millionth item for the first time in one year. The Dalton Branch checked out the milestone item. To celebrate, the patron checking out the 1-millionth item received a $100 savings bond.

Directors

• Mrs. Elizabeth McBride (1901-1905)
• Miss Della Dice (1905-1906)
• Miss Myrtle Allen (1909-1922)
• Mrs. Eugenia Glenn (1923-1943)
• Miss Helen Sebeika (1943-1945)
• Miss Ruth Minglin (1946-1947)
• Miss Mary Merritt (1947-1956)
• Miss Katherine Schantz (1956-1969)

Timeline

• 1897 - Organized
• 1897 - April 10, the committee hired its first librarian, Miss Bertha Ellsperman at the salary of three dollars a week and of a janitors at five dollars a month, setting the library hours at 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM and 12:00 PM to 8:00 PM each day from October to April and adding an extra half hour before closing during the other months. The Women's Christian Association ladies were designated to manage the reading room during the morning hours before the librarian arrived.
• 1897 - May, Trustees voted to move the library to the SW corner of E. Liberty and Buckeye Streets, a 2 year lease was signed for rooms on the 2nd floor from Mrs. S. Fisher for the sum of $7 a month.
• 1897 - May, The committee on the library decided to spend $100 for new books. Miss Whitford announced that she had cataloged the 700 books which formed the library collection.
• 1897 - November, Trustees deemed it necessary to define the duties of the library:
  • Miss Bertha Ellsperman was Responsible for the "entire charge" of the library in the afternoon and evening (morning hours were discontinued) giving her total time during these hours connected with the library."
  • Allowed to be absent one evening a week-- provided it was not Saturday and find a substitute satisfactory to the committee on the library.
  • As a daily duty she was to supervise the janitor, reporting any negligence, dusting the tables and desk.
  • Before leaving each day she was to place the papers on file and arrange the books properly on the shelves.
  • Weekly the books, papers and shelves were to be dusted by the librarian.
  • Dealing with the public, the librarian was "to see that general order is maintained, due courtesy exercised and all rules enforced."
  • She was to collect fines for overdue and misused books.
  • She must know the books in the library and be familiar with their subject, title, author, and location on the shelf.
• 1899 - The Trustees discovered a state statue which gave local boards of education the opportunity to levy a tax in support of the public library
• 1900 - The Wooster Board of Education agreed to "aid the Trustees in maintaining a library"
  • Miss Ellsperman's annual report showed that boys from 10-18 years old were the most frequent library users and were interested in travels, adventure, history and science. Books for homework were requested, as well as, books used for discussion at art and literary club meetings. "Obligation cards" showed that 856 borrowers and the circulation for each month varied from 300 to 900 books for a total of 7,079 for the year.
• 1901 - September, Miss Ellsperman was relieved of her duties as library because the Trustees felt that "for the best future growth and proper development of the library change was advisable."
  • Mrs. Elizabeth McBride was selected as a substitute until a suitable candidate could be found. She stayed as librarian until April 1905.
• 1903 - January, the Board of Trustees at the library as Mr. Mullins to write to Andrew Carnegie, the famous philanthropist, asking for funds for a new building. Mr. Mullins was reluctant, but agreed to write the letter the next day. He quickly received a reply back offering $12,000 which the Trustees decided insufficient for the building project. Again, they urged Mr. Mullins to write and ask for $15,000 which was the sum finally granted. Mr. Carnegie's only requirement for the library (which never bore his name) was that Wooster raise $500 a year for the building's maintenance.
• 1901 - Contagious disease caused the library to close once during January and February.
• 1903 - April 13, Trustees formed a committee to confer with the Wooster Board of Education to see if they would assume responsibility of the library. This would provide the library with real estate tax collection according to "An act authorizing Boards of Education to provide library privileges for city, village, and special school districts" passed by the Ohio Legislature on October 17, 1902. It is worthy to note
• 1903 - May 21, The Wooster Board of Education accepted and appointed the same Board of Trustees of the library. The library now becomes a school district library. Each teacher was issued a circulation card for school use that the teacher could check out for students' use the books required in the pupils' reading course.
• 1903 - June 23, Trustees examined several buildings sites and chose 304 N. Market St., Wooster, Ohio which they purchased from John Fawcett Larwill for $4,500.
• 1905 - April 15, Della M. Dice was elected library and given a salary of $30 a month. Mrs. Elizabeth McBride became her assistant. The Trustees received other applicants during this period, but no word is given why no action was taken. Rules for the Wooster Public Library and Museum
• 1905 - May, the building was ready and a dedication ceremony was held. The cost of the construction was $14,262, add to that $4,500 for land, architect's fee of $525 and other miscellaneous expenses make the total cost of the library $23,000.
• 1905 - Wooster Free Library Association changes name to Wooster Public Library and Museum
• 1967 - March, Young people volunteered to move books back to the new building.
• 1967 - October, Dedication ceremony of new library on 304 N. Market St.. Louis Wyse, a contemporary author in Cleveland, Ohio was a special speaker. Help coordinating the event of the Board of Trustees under President George Leedy Felt and Donald Flath, Chairman of the Dedication with the help of the Friends of the Library.
• 1967 - Move in facts: 99,000 books with a capacity of 175,000 volumes. Adult room would seat 85 patrons. Juvenile room seat 42 patrons. Basement 160 persons with 1 small conference room. Xerox duplicator was rented. Record listening area with headphones and 300 recordes.