Dallas Public Library: "A New Central Research Library For Dallas"

Dallas TX

09 April, 2022

6:35 PM

Description

Press release from Dallas Public Library: Brandon Murray April 2, 2022 The Dallas Public Library first opened with a single building in 1901 funded in part by Andrew Carnegie and numerous civic-minded Dallas residents. Though branches were built in parts of Dallas in the decades that followed, the Carnegie Library served as the hub of the library system. Fifty-three years later, the deteriorated and overcrowded Carnegie Library was torn down and replaced with a six-story Central Library building on Commerce and Harwood. However, by the 1970s, the Commerce Library was overloaded and underequipped for the emerging technology of the time. On April 18, 1982 the City of Dallas dedicated its new Central Research Library building at 1515 Young Street at Ervay, across the street from Dallas City Hall. A few years later, the Central Library was renamed as The J. Erik Jonsson Central Library to honor the former mayor instrumental in fundraising efforts for its completion. An exhibit by the Dallas History & Archives Division on the 7th floor will host an exhibition in honor of this "birthday" milestone with a look back at the building's beginning. Opening April 1, pivotal imagery and artifacts documenting the building's conception and design to its construction and early days of use will be on display. After the 114,000-square-foot site for a new Central Library was designated in 1972, architecture firm Fisher and Spillman Architects Inc. created the conceptual design renderings such as the ones below. The building mirrors City Hall's "Brutalism" architecture style designed by I.M. Pei across the street. This initial rendering depicts the original designation for each of the 11 floors of the Central Library building, only 9 of which intended for visitors including the underground parking garage. The City of Dallas celebrated the dedication of its new Central Research Library on April 18, 1982 with much fanfare. A large crowd of over 1,500 were in attendance to be a part of an event that was a decade in the making. Approved bond elections in 1972, '75 and '78 as well as a federal grant and private donations contributed to the $42.7 million library. Speeches were given from Library Director Lillian Bradshaw, Mayor at the time Jack Evans and former Mayor J. Erik Jonsson (for whom the building was later named), and many other notable figures of the city. "This a library for the future of Dallas," Evans said. The library was in immediate high demand for its new resources including its computerized catalog system which could be accessed on 50 new computer terminals donated by Texas Instruments. The system was technologically advanced at the time – it was touted that Central was the only major library in the world to have its entire card catalog on computer! The book collection went from 600,000 volumes to 2.2 million. The images below show visitors and staff utilizing the new building. To view more photos and artifacts about the Central Library's beginnings, stop by the Dallas History & Archives Division on the 7th floor starting in April to get a closer look. More photos >> This press release was produced by Dallas Public Library. The views expressed here are the author's own.