As his last official act on January 26, 1924, Tacoma City Librarian John Boynton Kaiser passed the keys of the Carnegie Library to his successor Miss Jacqueline Noel. Mr. Kaiser, who had served in the post for the past 10 years, had accepted the position of librarian at the University of Iowa. Miss Noel would hold the position until her retirement in 1947. At that time the City Librarian served as the chief administrator and director of the library. (TNT 1/26/1924, pg. 1) G39.1-079

Kaiser, John Boynton; Noel, Jacqueline; Public libraries--Tacoma--1920-1930; Tacoma Public Library (Tacoma); Librarians; Tacoma Public Library (Tacoma)--Employees;

On January 25, 1888, the Sheet Metal Workers Union was organized in Toledo, Ohio as the Tin, Sheet-Iron and Cornice Workers Association. Current members of the union posed in front of the Tacoma Public Library (now known as the Carnegie Building) in May of 1925. They were participants in the Sheet Metal Workers' Convention being hosted by Tacoma. The men were dressed in suits, ties and a variety of hats. The sign by the entry door of the library stated that this building is the "Tacoma Free Public Library" open "Weekdays 9 a.m-9 p.m., Sundays 2-9 p.m." G38.1-035

Meetings--Tacoma--1920-1930; Tacoma Public Library (Tacoma); Public libraries--Tacoma; Sheet Metal Workers (Tacoma); Labor unions--Tacoma--1920-1930;

ca. 1921. Ole B. Lien, pioneer pharmacist on Tacoma Avenue since 1894, and partner Harry B. Selvig opened this drug store in 1901 in the 1888 Greer Building. The Queen Anne-style structure was designed by architects Farrell & Darmer and built by contractor H. M. Matheson. It was torn down in 1951 to make way for a modern addition to the Tacoma Public Library. B8252.

Drugstores; Pharmacists; Lien & Selvig (Tacoma);

ca. 1978. Northwest Room staff, Tacoma Public Library. Mila Liwanag, Linda Hipp, Roy Ketcheson and Ethel Dobiash (l-r) posed for a group portrait in the renovated Northwest Room located in the old Carnegie Annex (Library) ca. 1978. Mr. Ketcheson and Ms. Hipp had been hired for a federally funded sorting and indexing project of old photographs, glass plates and negatives. Most of these had been taken by two well-known local photographers: Marvin D. Boland and Chapin Bowen. There were about 100,000 items including numerous wide-angle and panorama pictures of old Tacoma and early residents. (TNT 3-07-76 -article)

Tacoma Public Library (Tacoma); Public libraries--Tacoma--1970-1980; Tacoma Public Library (Tacoma)--Employees; Liwanag, Mila; Hipp, Linda; Ketcheson, Roy; Dobiash, Ethel;

ca. 1975. Sadie Uglow in Fine Arts Dept, Tacoma Public Library. The Fine Arts Department was located on the second floor of the Main Library. Each department had large signs clearly defining its specialty. After retiring from Tacoma Public, Miss Uglow would become the librarian for the Tacoma Art Museum.

Uglow, Sadie; Librarians; Tacoma Public Library (Tacoma); Public libraries--Tacoma--1970-1980; Tacoma Public Library (Tacoma)--Employees;

Mayor John Anderson addresses the crowd during the March 20, 1951, ground breaking for the new main branch of the Tacoma Public Library to be located at 1102 Tacoma Avenue South. The mayor's speech would be broadcast over KTNT radio. Behind the mayor was a giant billboard message donated by Foster & Kleiser urging the use of the public library for information, education and recreation. Among those in attendance was Thomas J. Porro, Library Board president (seated third from left). ALBUM 14.

Mayors--Tacoma--1950-1960; Anderson, John H.; Public speaking--Tacoma--1950-1960; Ground breaking ceremonies--Tacoma--1950-1960; Tacoma Public Library (Tacoma); Public libraries--Tacoma--1950-1960; Porro, Thomas J.; Billboards--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Tacoma Public Library; two book shelves in the cataloging room. These 42 volumes published by Yale University Press were an anonymous gift to the library in the memory of George Fitch Stacy of Tacoma, Yale class of 1885. This donation was received in 1943 and was in addition to the George Stacy memorial gift of 258 volumes received March 4, 1937.

Tacoma Public Library (Tacoma); Public libraries--Tacoma; Books;

Somewhere in this stack of books must be the answer! Kenneth Morrison intently examines one of the many reference sources found in the Tacoma Public Library's new Main Library. Awaiting his perusal are copies of Granger's Index to Poetry, Columbia Encyclopedia, Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary, Information Please Almanac, Index to Children's Poetry, Dictionary of Phrase and Fable and Twentieth Century Authors. Kenneth was looking for a quotation needed for school work. Students were urged to ask for assistance from library staff if they needed help with tough questions. The Main Library was dedicated on November 2, 1952 and provided residents with a much larger building and expanded collection of books. (TNT 10-31-1952, C-12)

Morrison, Kenneth; Books; Reading--Tacoma--1950-1960; Tacoma Public Library (Tacoma); Public libraries--Tacoma--1950-1960;

ca. 1952. Eileen Jennings and Mrs. Eugene Leddy peruse the new Fine Arts department of the Tacoma Public Library in the winter of 1952. Shelves are loaded with a large selection of books. The Fine Arts department was a new addition to the library with Miss Carol Gander, formerly head of the Albuquerque Public Library reference department, in charge. The $1,250,000 library had just been dedicated on Sunday, November 2, 1952, with nearly 4000 in attendance.

Tacoma Public Library (Tacoma); Public libraries--Tacoma--1950-1960; Books; Jennings, Eileen; Leddy, Eugene--Family;

Five men in the Children's Department at the new Tacoma Public Library, 1102 Tacoma Ave. So., October of 1952. They are the contractors involved in building the new library. Seated from left to right are architect Silas E. Nelsen and electrical contractor B.H. Raymond. Standing from left to right are Lakewood consulting engineers F.R. Worthen and Robert C. Wing with lighting contractor William O. Proby at far right. The room was well lit with Panelux lighting fixtures designed for soft reading illumination and filled with furniture built for small children. Note the fireplace in the background. (TNT 10-31-1952, C-6-Ad.)

Tacoma Public Library (Tacoma); Public libraries--Tacoma--1950-1960; Nelsen, Silas E.; Proby, William O.; Raymond, Burt H.; Wing, Robert C.; Worthen, F.R.;

Lucille Herian, first assistant in the Fine Arts department of the Tacoma Public Library, gazes at a bust of Thomas S. Handforth, after whom the Handforth Gallery is named. A selection of his work is displayed on the gallery's walls. Many local artists continue to have their work exhibited in the Handforth Gallery which is still at the Tacoma Public Library, although moved from its second floor location. (TNT 10-31-1952, C-3)

Tacoma Public Library (Tacoma); Public libraries--Tacoma--1950-1960; Thomas S. Handforth Gallery (Tacoma); Galleries & museums--Tacoma--1950-1960; Herian, Lucille; Tacoma Public Library (Tacoma)--Employees; Sculpture;

A close-up view of the Seal of the City of Tacoma that was placed on the south side of the upper floor of the new addition to the Tacoma Public Library shows the sun rising behind Mount Rainier and the City Waterway leading to the industry of Tacoma.

Tacoma Public Library (Tacoma); Public libraries--Tacoma; Seals;

A view of the Order Department in the new addition to Tacoma Public Library's Main Branch where clerks added the names of incoming copies of books to the "Shelf List". Book shelves line the walls, two large desks with typewriters are on the left, with one in the center, and a smaller desk on the right. Overhead egg-crate light fixtures are seen against the ceiling. Ordered by Hendricksen & Kent.

Tacoma Public Library (Tacoma); Public libraries--Tacoma;

The Tacoma Avenue entrance of the addition to the Tacoma Public Library Main branch is an invisible wall of glass with two sets of double glass doors at the center. Charging and receiving counters are seen on either side with magazine racks off the central entry that extends to the back wall. BU-11796

Tacoma Public Library (Tacoma); Public libraries--Tacoma; Doors & doorways;

A second fireplace was located in the Story-Hour room in the north-east corner of the second floor of the addition to the Tacoma Public Library Main Branch. It was back-to-back with a larger fireplace that faced into the children's area on the second story. Goodyear vinyl tile provided an attractive appearance and required no waxing.

Tacoma Public Library (Tacoma); Public libraries--Tacoma; Fireplaces--Tacoma;

The addition to the Tacoma Public Library Main Branch was a three-story, modern building with expansive use of plate glass windows designed by the Silas E. Nelsen firm of architects. Nelsen maintained an on-site office behind the library. The ground-breaking ceremony was held on March 20, 1951, and razing of the Lien & Selvig Drug Store and the old apartment building which stood on the corner had already been started as of that date. (TNT, 3/9/1952, p.A-10) BU-11814

Tacoma Public Library (Tacoma); Public libraries--Tacoma; Silas E. Nelsen Architects (Tacoma);

This is the new addition to the Tacoma Public Library Main Branch as it appeared just before its dedication on November 2, 1952. The building was designed by the Silas E. Nelsen firm of architects. Silas Nelsen was a major architect in Tacoma for over 50 years. Besides the Main Branch libary, he was the architect for 150 homes, 15 churches, four branch libraries, the City Light building, and most of the buildings on the campus of the University of Puget Sound. The Main Branch Library was remodeled between 1987 and April of 1990.

Tacoma Public Library (Tacoma); Public libraries--Tacoma; Silas E. Nelsen Architects (Tacoma);

Dedication of new Main Library. Tacoma Mayor John Anderson addresses an overflowing crowd of more than 4,000 at the grand opening of the new addition to the Tacoma Public Library. The library opened its doors on Sunday, November 2, 1952, for two hours so that visitors might be able to tour the various departments, all of which would be open and staffed. It had overgrown the old library building (now called the Carnegie Building) and the new $1,250,000 structure would provide more space for employees and room for more books. Several other dignitaries would be present for the dedication including principal speaker University of Washington president Dr. Henry Schmitz, College of Puget Sound president R. Franklin Thompson, Temple Beth Israel Rabbi Bernard D. Rosenberg, architect of the project Silas E. Nelsen, and Library Board president Thomas J. Porro. (TNT 11-2-52, A-1 article; TNT 11-3-52, A-1 article)

Tacoma Public Library (Tacoma); Public libraries--Tacoma; Building dedications--Tacoma--1950-1960; Anderson, John H.; Mayors--Tacoma--1950-1960;

The main floor of the new addition to the Tacoma Public Library's main branch provided several tables and chairs for reading near the periodicals area. The Tacoma Avenue entrance is seen along the left beyond the periodicals.

Public libraries--Tacoma; Tacoma Public Library (Tacoma); Tables; Chairs;

The children's area of the new addition to the Tacoma Public Library's main branch featured a large fireplace in the rear, several tables and chairs for reading and a separate card catalog. A circulation desk is seen on the right. Miss Dorothy Hairgrove headed the children's department at this time.

Public libraries--Tacoma; Tacoma Public Library (Tacoma); Tables; Chairs; Card catalogs--Tacoma; Fireplaces--Tacoma;