Bayonne Public Library

The Bayonne Public Library is the free public library of Bayonne, New Jersey. Incorporated in 1890, it serves a population of approximately 62,000.

Free Public Library & Cultural Center of Bayonne is housed in the original 1903 Carnegie-funded library building

Carnegie building

The main library is located at 697 Avenue C. The Beaux-Arts and Classical Revival building, sporting Ionic and Doric columns and rich in ornamental detail has undergone expansion and renovation since its 1904 opening.[1] It is one of New Jersey's original thirty-six Carnegie libraries, constructed with a grant of $83,000 made April 13, 1903 by the Carnegie Corporation,[2][3] still in use. In 1913, Andrew Carnegie donated another $30,000 for its expansion. The present structure was completed after its final expansion at the cost of $300,000. Frank L. Bodine submitted a proposal for the original[4] but the one accepted came from Edward Lippincott Tilton, who also designed the rectangular annex in 1914. Charles Shilowitz designed major addition of the two wings that form a courtyard built between 1929 and 1933.

In a Memorial Day fire in 1959 the central part of the interior and roof were badly burnt. After a $1.25 million restoration it re-opened to the public in 1963.[1] The building was re-dedicated in 1989 as the Free Public Library & Cultural Center of Bayonne. Performing and visual arts and interactive events take place at The Mary O'Connor Gallery, while the lower level is used for meetings and cultural programs.[1]

Branches and circulation

The Branch Two Library was located at 1055 Avenue C.[5] The Story Court Branch was located in the Bergen Point section of the city at 4th Street.[6] Both branches closed on March 31, 2009. As of 2011, the library system served a population of approximately 62,000 residents, contained a collection of 268,494 volumes and had a yearly circulation of 99,100 items.[7]

See also

References
  1. "Library History". Free Public Library & Cultural Center of Bayonne. Bayonne Public Library.
  2. Bobinski, George S. (1969). Carnegie Libraries: Their History and Impact on American Public Library Development. Chicago: American Library Association. ISBN 0-8389-0022-4.
  3. Jones, Theodore (1997). Carnegie Libraries Across America. New York: John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 0-471-14422-3.
  4. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-02-29. Retrieved 2011-09-28.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  5. "Bayonne Public Library Branch Two". librarytechnology.org. September 21, 2011. Retrieved 2011-09-26.
  6. "Story Court Branch". librarytechnology.org. September 21, 2011. Retrieved 2011-09-26.
  7. "Bayonne Public Library". librarytechnology.org. September 21, 2011. Retrieved 2011-09-26.

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