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The Easton Library Company
was formed in 1811 when 100 shares of stock were sold to
the public. Shareholders then supported the Library with
yearly subscription fees. Only subscribers could borrow
books. Within four years the Company could afford to pay
a librarian $1.50 each month and to begin construction
of a building on land donated by Samuel Sitgreaves. That
red brick building still stands at the corner of North
Second and Church Streets. For 90 years it served as the
public library, located across the street from Easton's
secondary school. At the time of the Civil War, the
Company extended borrowers' status to students enrolled
in the high school. In 1895 the Library Association was
formed for the purpose of creating a library funded by
the school board open to all residents of the city. The
reorganization took place in 1901. The Library's new
status allowed Easton's citizens to apply to Andrew
Carnegie for a library building grant. Carnegie was so
impressed with their plans that he donated $50,000 for a
new building if the residents would supply the land and
get the municipality to agree to continue to fund the
Library's operating expenses.
The best available piece of
property for a library turned out to be the oldest
graveyard in town, which by that time was no longer in
use. The handsome Carnegie building of blue stone from
New Jersey, local bricks, and granite was completed in
1903. Patrons entered the building by climbing a
stairway flanked by white marble walls to a landing of
tile inlaid with patterns in green, red and yellow. Faux
green marble columns supported the high ceilings. The
various rooms were entered through heavy oak and glass
doors topped with arched windows. The first Director set
about installing a "state of the art" long distance
phone. Much thought, time, and effort was put into
landscaping the grounds which took several years. At one
time bird houses were distributed among the trees to
enhance the park-like atmosphere.
By 1911 it was apparent that
more room was needed for books and a second Carnegie
grant provided for additional stack space on the north
side of the building. 1941 brought the addition of a
"loft" of stacks built on top of the book stacks in the
addition.
The Library was designated one
of Pennsylvania's 28 District Library Centers in1963 and
in 1968 the building was again expanded. This addition,
on the east side of the building, was designed by local
architect Hugh Moore, Jr. The effort of the Friends of
the Library secured a National Endowment for Humanities
grant in 1985 to provide for the preservation of the
Library's historic materials which date from the
founding of Northampton County. The collections are
named in honor of the first 20th century librarian,
Henry Marx, through whose efforts they were greatly
expanded and enriched.
Palmer Township completed a
handsome building to house a branch of the Library in
1986. South Side Easton has access to branch service at
the Shull building.
The Library totally automated
its procedures in 1993 and began providing Internet
access to the public in 1996 quickly moving to graphical
interfaces and broad band connections. The need to
upgrade automation services in 2001 led Easton, along
with the Allentown and Bethlehem Public Libraries and
the library of Moravian College, to create the Lehigh
Valley Library System, an automation consortium.
Barbara Bailey Bauer, District Consultant November 28,
2001
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