By Jared Olar
Library Assistant
As we have recalled the early history of the Pekin Public Library, we have told the story of how Pekin built its very first library building in 1902-1903 with the aid of a $15,000 donation from philanthropist Andrew Carnegie.
In addition, in preparation for the library’s move into its new building, the Pekin Public Library’s head librarian, Miss Anna M. Smith, who had been serving in that position since 1897, oversaw the reclassification of the library’s entire collection in accordance with the Dewey Decimal Classification System.
This week we will continue the story of the Pekin Public Library with an overview of the first four or five decades of the library’s history. During that time, Pekin’s Carnegie library became a fixture of Pekin’s community life.
Among the library’s records of this period is a notice from 1927 of the library board’s appointment of Miss Juanita Engstrand as librarian. Circulation for the following year was 47,961 books. Three years later, in 1931, Mrs. Helen Haase became librarian. By that year, the Pekin Public Library’s collection had increased to 22,662 books. Circulation during 1930-1931 averaged over 100,000 books and 5,000 magazines. These statistics testify to the community’s growing interest in the library and in reading.
One of the landmarks of the library’s history was the organization of “Library Story Hour” by Miss Josephine Goldsmith. She was first appointed to the library board in 1930, but prior to that she had been a library staff member, and in that capacity she commenced “Story Hour” for Pekin’s children in the early 1920s.
By the 1930s it had become evident that Pekin’s library was in need of some remodeling. Originally both adult and children’s collections were housed on the main floor of the library, but as the library’s collection continued to increase, it was inevitable that the library would need some rearranging.
Consequently, around 1935 the decision was made to remodel the library’s basement so the library’s Children’s Department would have space of its own. The main floor could then accommodate the Adult Department’s collection and continue to afford quite space for patrons to read and for community activities to be held.
One of the newspaper clippings preserved in the Local History Room collection comes from the Pekin Daily Times of Aug. 25, 1936, which briefly describes the renovation and remodeling project, and mentions that the four women then serving on the library board had proposed that the library should have reopening celebration on Sept. 25, 1936:
“The ‘wimmen folk’ on Pekin Public Library board – Mrs. J. M. Rahn, Mrs. Earl Sanborn, Miss Josephine Goldsmith and Miss Louise Emmerling – were said to be nagging board president Ralph Dempsey to put on his swallowtail coat and have a grand reopening of the re-built library on Friday night, Sept. 25. The lighting system on the first floor was brand new; a children’s department had been doubled and an arts and assembly room added.”
Library records show that in 1938 the library staff consisted of Mrs. Haase, librarian, Miss Helen Cook, first assistant, Miss Norma Zerwekh, children’s librarian, Miss Relda Rankin, assistant, and Miss Iva Mae Guthrie, substitute. The library board members then were Mr. Ralph Dempsey, president, Mrs. J. M. Rahn, Mr. R. V. Lindsey, Mr. O. D. Ehrlicher, Mrs. Earl Sanborn, Miss Josephine Goldsmith, Miss Louise Emmerling, Father F. S. Arvedson, and Mr. A. B. Hiett. At this time, the library’s Children’s Department hosted the weekly story hour led by high school student volunteers. The library also delivered books once a week to patients at the Pekin Public Hospital, and continued to host regular meetings of community organizations.
The library’s annual report, dated April 30, 1940, says the library then had 9,529 card holders and 26,955 books in its collection, and had circulated 111,530 books since May 1, 1939. In 1939-1940, the library had $13,195.09 in total receipts and $9,858.45 in operating expenditures (including $5,111.92 for staff salaries).
Community interest in the library increase steadily throughout the first half of the 20th century – and as the community’s use of its library grew, so too did the size of the library’s collection. By the 1950s, however, the library faced a very serious challenge: the Post-War Baby Boom.
Next week we will find out what the library and the city decided to do about that challenge.
