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The History of the Dallas Public Library
In the beginning...
By the late 1890s, although several libraries existed in Dallas, none of them were free. Civic leaders, in agreement that a free public library was vastly important to the growth and reputation of the city, began lobbying for the creation of such an institution.
The Dallas Federation of Women's Clubs, created in 1898 by May Dickson Exall, took on the campaign for a public library as its first project. Mrs. Exall was the driving force behind the project.
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Image Source:
Dallas Public Library Archives (MA82.2/1A)
Dallas History & Archives, Dallas Public Library
1899: Gathering Funds
Other civic leaders and community activists also rallied for the creation of a free library. The Dallas Morning News strongly supported the cause, stating that "the absence of a public library in Dallas has been remarked with humiliation by the citizen and astonishment by strangers and visitors."
Shortly after, donors from around the city began to chip in, raising nearly $12,000 in a matter of months.
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1901: The First Building, the Carnegie Library
The Dallas Public Library became a reality after Mrs. Exall requested and received a $50,000 grant from steel baron Andrew Carnegie. Located on the corner of Commerce and Harwood Streets, the two-story building housed the entire collection of 9,852 volumes on the first floor, with the Carnegie Hall auditorium and the Art Room on the second floor.
The art collection, which was the first public art gallery in Dallas, would later become the heart of the internationally known Dallas Museum of Art. The library still owns an original piece donated by Frank Reaugh, on display on the 7th floor.
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See early real estate maps of Dallas - Murphy & Bolanz Block and Addition Books
Learn more about current art on display in the building, including the original Frank Reaugh "Scene on the Brazos"
Image Source:
Dallas Public Library Archives (MA82.2/3-3)
1914: The First Branch Library (Oak Cliff Library)
In only a matter of years, the main library was overcrowded and in need of expansion. In response, the city opened the Oak Cliff Library in 1914 with the help of additional funds from Andrew Carnegie. The new branch focused on community needs rather than academic research.
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1930s: More branch libraries
Despite the Great Depression, four more branches opened in the 1930s, including the Paul Laurence Dunbar Library, which was located at Thomas and Worthington Streets and served the African American population of old North Dallas (now considered Uptown). Prior to this, the community ran its own libraries through private funds.
Another branch, the Sanger Library, opened at Harwood and Park Row to serve the primarily Jewish population that lived in South Dallas at that time.
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Image Source:
Dallas Public Library Archives (MA82.2/421)
1940s and early 50s: War times and Regeneration
During World War II, the library was fully established as a War Information Center. Patrons thronged the library to access government publications as well as detailed maps of the war front.
After the war ended, the library was strapped to serve the city's burgeoning population. The Dallas Federation of Women's Clubs stepped in once again, donating the library's first Bookmobile.
By 1950, a group of citizens formed an auxiliary organization called the Friends of the Dallas Public Library to lobby for library services. Within a few months, the Friends purchased a second Bookmobile and started a successful campaign to secure funds for a new library facility downtown. Another project included creating a repository of fine and rare books for the library. The group still actively supports the library today.
Join the Friends of the Dallas Public Library
Image Source:
Dallas Public Library Archives (MA82.2/1189)
Growing Again: A New Central Library
In 1954, the badly deteriorating and overcrowded Carnegie facility was torn down and a contemporary six-story facility that held 433,000 books was built in its place. While construction was underway, the Library was housed at the City's busy train depot, Union Station.
When the new building opened, it featured a listening library, special programming for young adults and several research units staffed by subject-matter specialists. The building, located on the corner of Commerce and Harwood Streets, is now the home of The Dallas Morning News.
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Image Source:
Dallas Public Library Archives (MA82.2/)
1960s and 70s: Branching Out during the Bradshaw Years
By the time the new main library opened in 1955, the existing five branches were stretched to their limits as the city continued to grow. Between the 1960s and 70s, the city built 17 new branches.
Walnut Hill, the first new branch to open, was immediately popular, with over 40,000 items checking out per month. The building was replaced with the Bachman Lake Branch in 2009.
Just as the civil rights and women's liberation movements were beginning, Lillian Bradshaw was named Library Director in 1962, the first woman to head a City of Dallas department. Days after her appointment she faced a censorship push from a Dallas councilmember, but the community and media rallied to her defense. The City Council not only overwhelmingly approved her appointment, but also passed a resolution to not censor books.
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The J. Erik Jonsson Central Library
By the 1970s, the Library found its Central facility overloaded and unequipped to handle the emerging technology. In 1972, the City designated an 114,000 square foot site located at the corner of Young and Ervay as the location for the new central library building.
The new, technologically sophisticated structure opened in 1982 (with Lillian Bradshaw, at right) across from Dallas City Hall. The Library was renamed in 1986 as the J. Erik Jonsson Central Library, in honor of the former mayor who played a major role in its development.
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Image Source:
Dallas Public Library Archives (MA82.2/)
The 1980s and 90s: Emerging Technologies
The new Central Library was one of the first libraries in the country to have an online catalog system and state-of-the-art audiovisual capabilities. Upon opening, it also boasted a television production studio and the library's first bookstore. In 1996, the library implemented its first automated online catalog, called STAR, which also allowed patrons to access a myriad of electronic databases and the Internet. Spaces were reconfigured to install public use computers as technology access became increasingly in demand.
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The 21st century and beyond: New Locations, New Materials and New Ways to Connect
New Locations
The library’s Master Plan 2000 called for the addition of new branches, and the renovation, replacement or expansion of existing ones. The library welcomed Arcadia Park, Timberglen, Grauwyler Park, Bookmarks at NorthPark Center, Prairie Creek, White Rock Hills and Vickery Park branches to the system. Paul Laurence Dunbar Lancaster-Kiest, Hampton-Illinois, Casa View (now Lochwood), Walnut Hill (now Bachman Lake), Pleasant Grove, Highland Hills and Forest Green branches were all replaced with new buildings. All the floors at the Central Library were renovated, as were the Dallas West and Polk-Wisdom branches. The Audelia Road and Fretz Park branches were renovated and expanded.
New Materials
While the core of the library is still physical materials and in-person programs, new formats and technologies are always being added. During the pandemic, use of online materials such as eBooks, audiobooks and streaming services skyrocketed – and demand continues to rise. In 2019, three Creative Spaces were opened for storytelling, fiber arts and digital preservation, providing unique equipment and technology to allow the public to get hands-on experience, build new skills or try a new hobby.
New Ways to Connect
The library continues to innovate to reach its customers and meet their needs. After fines on overdue materials were eliminated in May 2019, many former customers returned to the library upon having their fines forgiven. Since 2014, the “Fairy Tale Closet” has opened during prom season to give away donated formal wear and accessories free to promgoers. During the COVID lockdown in 2020, the library pivoted from in-person service to presenting storytimes and other library programs online, as well as instituting curbside pickup. The Homeless Engagement Initiative was created to help our unhoused customers connect with community services. Free Enhanced Library Cards that include a person’s name, picture, and other personal information can be used not only for library services but also as a photo ID that may be used as a supplement with other documents to prove a person’s identity.
Today, the Dallas Public Library circulates over 8,000,000 items a year, half of them ebooks, audiobooks and streaming materials. Extending physical library access across Dallas by opening new branches has led to 30 service points throughout the city. Now in its second century, the library continues to adapt to the needs of the residents of Dallas.
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Image credits:
Dallas Public Library Archives
Dallas History & Archives, Dallas Public Library