Oswego Public Library Celebrates 160th Anniversary

OSWEGO – Happy birthday, Oswego Public Library.

Gerrit Smith was an abolitionist, women’s rights activist, educator and wealthy landowner. He owned property in his home region of central Madison County and elsewhere, including vast holdings in Oswego County.

He started the Oswego Public Library (the castle on the hill). It opened its doors for the first time in 1857, making it now America’s oldest public library still in its original building.

The library, located at 120 E. Second St., near Oneida Street, marked the occasion with an anniversary celebration on Wednesday. The event featured live animals from G & G, commemorative button making, actors in 1857 costume, highlight tours of the building, bilingual story time in English and Spanish and refreshments from the Friends of the Library.

Several children and families enjoyed the celebration and the newly opened Early Learning Play Center. Representatives from Assemblyman Will Barclay’s office and Senator Patty Ritchie’s office were on hand to offer congratulations.

Both were recognized for their continued support of the library

The library was open, according to an 1857 newspaper report.

However, the trustees put a report in the paper after that saying “the library is built, we have people working there. But we have not yet opened because the books are still arriving and have not been put in order yet,” Librarian Ed Elsner told the crowd in the community room on Wednesday.

“So, there was never anything after that that said (the library) is open,” he said. “So, we picked Flag Day, June 14, 1857.”

The library is in possession of a book of the minutes from the library’s beginnings. However, much of the earliest minutes were destroyed in a fire.

They were re-written from memory and preserved in the new book, Library Director Carol Ferlito explained.

“It gives you who became involved, how they became involved, the original people of the board and what type of funding they were using,” she said. “It’s fun to look through. The very first few pages … are in beautiful cursive. Then about 10 to 15 pages in it changes over to typed. Most of their minutes were maybe 20 lines at the most. Our minutes go on and on forever now days because there is so much done in a public library at this time.”

FROM THE ASHES

Smith had made a large commitment to the Port City and was also committed to public education; including co-educational and interracial work. Therefore, he decided the city needed a library to further that work.

In 1853, 12 days after the great fire in Oswego destroyed a large part of the city’s east side, Smith wrote a letter from his home in Peterboro, N.Y., to eight prominent residents of Oswego, notifying them of his interest and intention of establishing a library in Oswego, and naming them as his trustees.

Everyone, he said, would have access to the library – regardless of race, gender or creed.

He made two requirements before he donated money, the library had to be built on the east side of the river and it should never turn away anyone who wants to come in on account of their race, complexion and condition.

From the opening of its doors to the present, the library has had African-American patrons, including prominent members of the Underground Railroad and the local community. Originally, many of the African-American patrons were children whose parents had been slaves.

Smith appropriated the sum of $25,000 for the library endeavor. It was his plan, as expressed in the letter, that the trustees should purchase a lot on the east side of the river and build a library for about $15,000. The balance of $10,000 would be used to purchase books.

He donated $20,000 in 1853 to begin construction, $1,000 in 1862 and added $4,000 in 1868 to purchase books. The total amount finally donated by Smith proved to be $30,000.

The maintenance of Smith’s and the public’s rights in the library were carried out when the New York State Legislature passed a bill on April 15, 1854, to incorporate the Oswego City Library.

A lot was purchased from Cheney Ames, and in May 1855, the trustees closed with Hughes and Rhodes, architects from Syracuse, for the erection of a library building at a cost of $12,000.

The basement and lecture room were to be left unfinished, and the job was to be completed by June 1856.

The first invoice for library books was in the amount of $1,169.31.

The Oswego Democratic Times of July 14, 1857 contained a notice that the Gerrit Smith Library was open to the public under the auspices of Chester Hull, Esq., librarian.

It indicated that the library contained 8,000 volumes, and “an apartment exclusively for ladies has been tastefully fitted with sofas, etc., and thus both sexes can enjoy the advantages of the library without intrusion upon each other.”

Smith, however, didn’t want the library named after him. It was called the Oswego City Library and years later it was also known as the Oswego School District Library. Today, it is the Oswego Public Library.

It should be noted here that library books could only be withdrawn by those who held “permits.”

These were issued to library trustees and their families, to pastors and their families, and each trustee was allowed to issue two additional permits.

Otherwise, use of library books was restricted to reading within the building itself.

On June 2, 1885, Benjamin Stocks, librarian, made an annual report:

“In the past year, some 6,761 books have been read. There were 11,557 volumes on the shelves. The building is in good condition, but the furniture needed a little repairing. Donations of money and books have been unusually large, and readers were increasing in numbers and requiring better and more advanced materials.”

In 1904, the trustees hired a Miss Burns to make the first professional catalogue of the library books. This was completed in the summer of 1905.

It was soon recognized, however, that even Smith’s generosity had not established a firm financial foundation and the trustees sought assistance from the city of Oswego.

Alvin Brunson, trustee, said in a letter: “I am disposed to insist that the city shall pay the current expenses of the library, and to withhold its use until the authorities make such provision. It is manifestly proper and right that the city should protect and care for this liberal donation to the city.”

The city agreed to make an annual appropriation of $700, later raised to $750, and this appropriation has continued to this date (April 1956), except for a 10-year period during the Depression of the 1930s when it was cut to a low of $350 annually.

In the early years, the trustees were responsible for the building and when repairs were needed, they dug into their own pockets. The end result was that the building needed repairs that were rarely made.

In the 1930s, the walls began to separate from the floors and it was necessary to install bracing in the attic area; in the 1969s a parapet fell and more repairs were needed.

From 1905 to 1916, the library struggled along.

Few trustees meetings were held, and the financial operation of the library gradually became very critical.

In 1913, for example, the treasury was reduced to $359.79.

Requests were made to the city for an increase in appropriation, and a number of letters were sent to citizens of the community asking for financial assistance, but both the efforts were unsuccessful.

By 1923, it was apparent, unfortunately, that financial support was not adequate and there was certainly a question as to whether the library could continue to operate.

The trustees then accepted an offer from the board of education, as a partial solution to their financial dilemma.

A brief summary of the agreement between the board of trustees of the Oswego City Library and the board of education of the city of Oswego, June 2, 1923, is as follows:

1. The board of education, having no adequate place to put its books, shall place them in the Oswego City Library building. (It should be noted that there was unlimited circulation of board of education materials, for those 12 years of age and older). The trustees of the library shall afford sufficient and convenient space for same.

2. The board of education shall elect the librarian of the Oswego City Library (as) librarian of the board of education, and he shall perform the duties of both offices. He board of education shall pay the aforesaid librarian $350 per annum, and furnish the library with fuel and gas.

3. The board of education shall employ and pay a janitor for the library

4. The duties and hours of all employees shall be fixed by the board of education.

5. Actual charge and control of all books belonging to the library board of trustees shall remain with said trustees and librarian; likewise all materials deposited by the board of education shall remain in its actual charge and control.

6. Both boards will conduct their activities so that this library may be administered as a single unit, except as it may be necessary to segregate those books of the Oswego City Library to carry out the intentions of its founder.

7. The library trustees agree that all funds received from any sources shall be spent for the maintenance or improvement of the library building, or for books or equipment, and that none of their funds be used for salaries.

8. That before any changes, alterations or additions are made to the library building by the library board of trustees, the board of education will be advised.

9. Both boards shall unite in efforts to have the library approved by the Library Extension Division of the University of the State of New York. A survey by said division shall be had, and, so far as funds will permit, both parties will carry out its recommendations.

10. This agreement shall be for three years beginning on August 1, 1923.

Some time later, a Mr. Watson arrived to make a thorough study of conditions at the Oswego City Library, now operating under the new agreement with the board of education.

He found the facilities to be “totally inadequate for the population served,” and the only hope for the situation to improve was continued cooperation between the library board and the board of education.

It was obviously a move in the right direction.

In 1927-28 more than $7,500 was spent on improving the condition of the building, circulation quadrupled, Miss Juanita Kersey was hired as librarian, and the Children’s Library was established.

The state of affairs has, essentially, been in effect ever since. However, this agreement remained in effect with the Oswego City School District providing 90% of the library’s operating budget until June 30, 1999.

In 1971, the library was placed on the National Register of Historic Places – state level – for architectural significances.

In 1990, the will of Virginia Dean left the library about $175,000 to be used for renovations or a new library. Some of those funds were used on the library’s recent plan for a three-story addition on its west side.

In 1999, voters approved the establishment of the Oswego School District Public Library with seven elected trustees and a budget based on tax revenue.

The name reflects the areas within the school district (Oswego city, the towns of Minetto, Oswego and Scriba) which the library serves.

In 2001, the school district offered the library two floors at the Education Center for use as a library. The trustees were faced with a choice, to renovate or to move. Candidates favorable to renovation won the 2002 election in May and the trustees declined the district’s offer with thanks in July 2002.

Forums were held in the fall of 2002 to allow residents to determine what they’d like in a renovated library.

In 2003, the architectural firm of SWBR of Rochester is selected to do the project. The Zaia Building at the corner of East First and Oneida streets is also purchased that year.

In 2004, at a meeting of trustees, librarian, architects, and representatives of the State Historic Preservation Office it is agreed to move forward with a three-story addition to the west of the existing building on 50 feet of land available there.

A steel framework was concealed in the existing building to stabilize the walls and reinforce the floors.

On Feb. 10, 2004, a lease agreement for temporary relocation of the library into the back of the former armory on East First Street (effective July 1) was signed.

Several months later, when construction worked was completed, the library reopened in its original building.

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