The Saint John Free Public Library incorporated in 1883, was the first tax-supported
public library
A public library is a library that is accessible by the general public and is usually funded from public sources, such as taxes. It is operated by librarians and library paraprofessionals, who are also Civil service, civil servants.
There are ...
New Brunswick
New Brunswick (french: Nouveau-Brunswick, , locally ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. It is the only province with both English and ...
,
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
, hence the inclusion of "Free" in the title.
The Saint John Free Public Library consists of three branches, the central branch in the
Market Square
The market square (or sometimes, the market place) is a Town square, square meant for trading, in which a market is held. It is an important feature of many towns and cities around the world.Lancaster Mall. All of these libraries are under the Fundy Library Region, which is headquartered in Market Square.
Services
*Information and reference services
*Access to full text databases
*Community information
*Internet access
*Reader's advisory services
*Programs for children, youth and adults
* Delivery to homebound individuals
* Interlibrary loan
* Free downloadable audiobooks
History
St. John Mechanics' Institute was one of a series of Mechanic's Institutes that were set up around the world after being popularized in Britain. It housed a subscription library that allowed members who paid a fee to borrow books. The Mechanic's Institutes libraries eventually became public libraries after the establishment of free libraries.Harris, Michael. History Of Libraries In The Western World. 4th ed. Metuchen, N.J.: Scarecrow Press, 1995, p. 153.
1811: New Brunswick’s very first library opened in Saint John in 1811 operated on a subscription basis with a fee being charged for the use of the collections.
1874: Plans for a free public library in Saint John were initiated by the President of the Mechanics’ Institute.
1877: Great Saint John Fire delayed plans for library.
1879: Colonel
James Domville
James Domville (November 29, 1842 – July 30, 1921) was a Canadian businessman, militia officer and politician.
Biography
Domville was the son of a British major-general, also named James Domville. In 1858 James, Jr., went to Barbados, where ...
, member of council was actively involved in the procurement of a book collection for the use of the public library and to replace the collection destroyed by the fire.
1883: First tax supported public library in Canada, the Saint John Free Public Library opened in the City Market on Charlotte Street.
1885: The library moved to the Masonic Temple building on Germain Street where it remained for 19 years.
1904: Thanks to a $50,000 donation from the American philanthropist Andrew Carnegie, a new library building opened on Hazen Avenue.
1912: The card catalogue first started being used.
1915: Story hours for children were inaugurated.
1967: West Branch opened in Lancaster Mall.
1968: East Branch opened in the Loch Lomond Mall.
1975: East Branch relocated to Westmorland Place.
1983: The library moved into new quarters in the Market Square harbour front complex.
1998: Automated circulation services was introduced.
2000: The Millennium Artplace was opened in the library lobby.
Collections
* Enjoy reading materials for all your information & recreation needs including bestsellers, large print books, audiobooks, music, DVDs and videos for all ages, magazines, language kits,
adult literacy
Adult education, distinct from child education, is a practice in which adults engage in systematic and sustained self-educating activities in order to gain new forms of knowledge, skills, attitudes, or values. Merriam, Sharan B. & Brockett, Ralp ...
materials, talking books for the visually and
physically challenged
A physical disability is a limitation on a person's physical functioning, mobility, dexterity or stamina. Other physical disabilities include impairments which limit other facets of daily living, such as respiratory disorders, blindness, epileps ...
and braille books for children.
* Saint John Newspapers - Newspapers on microfilm date back to the late 18th century.
* Programs for children including Babies in the Library, Toddlertime, Preschool Storytime and Family Drop in.
* Adult programs such as computer courses, tutorials, genealogical information and research assistance.
* Meinhardt Reading Room - a reading oasis nestled in the heart of the library.
* New Readers’ Area - featuring books of different reading levels for
adult learner
An adult learner or, more commonly, a mature student, is a person who is older and is involved in forms of learning. Adult learners fall in a specific criterion of being experienced, and do not always have a high school diploma. Many of the adult ...
s and ESL students.
* House of Languages - featuring books in 11 languages including French, Korean, Chinese and Spanish.
* Teen Zone D’Ados – Books, computers and a place for teens to work and relax.
* Special Collections room – Decorated in the style of a 19th-century Victorian salon, this room features a collection of over 9,000 unique items from Saint John’s earliest days.
* Barbara Ring Collection of art; featuring over thirty original pieces of artwork from the
Atlantic provinces
Atlantic Canada, also called the Atlantic provinces (french: provinces de l'Atlantique), is the region of Eastern Canada comprising the provinces located on the Atlantic coast, excluding Quebec. The four provinces are New Brunswick, Newfoundlan ...
.
Library Branches
* Central Library 1 Market Square, Saint John, N.B. E2L 4Z6
* East Branch 55 McDonald Street, Saint John, N.B. E2J 0C7
* West Branch 621 Fairville Blvd. Saint John, N.B. E2M 4X5
Carnegie Libraries in Canada
Carnegie may refer to:
People
*Carnegie (surname), including a list of people with the name
*Clan Carnegie, a lowland Scottish clan
Institutions Named for Andrew Carnegie
*Carnegie Building (Troy, New York), on the campus of Rensselaer Polytec ...