St. Louis Public Library facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St. Louis Public Library |
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| The Central Library | |
| Country | United States |
| Type | Public library |
| Established | 1865 |
| Location | St. Louis, Missouri |
| Branches | 15 |
| Collection | |
| Size | 4.6 million |
| Access and use | |
| Circulation | 2.3 million |
| Population served | St. Louis, Missouri |
| Members | 85,000 |
| Other information | |
| Budget | $22.2 million |
| Director | Waller McGuire |
| Staff | 300 |
| Website | http://www.slpl.org |
The St. Louis Public Library is a public library system in the city of St. Louis, Missouri. It has sixteen different locations, including the main Central Library. It's a great place to find books, movies, and learn new things!
Contents
How the Library Started
In 1865, a man named Ira Divoll, who was in charge of the St. Louis public schools, had a cool idea. He started a special library where people could pay a small fee to borrow books. He believed libraries should work with schools. He wanted to give everyone a chance to learn and grow.
In 1869, Divoll's library moved to the Board of Education building. It had four staff members ready to help people for 12 hours a day. The library also welcomed children of all ages, which was unusual for libraries back then.
The library grew very quickly! It started with 1,500 books in 1865. By 1893, it had 90,000 books. Because of this growth, it needed more space. In 1893, the library moved to the top floors of a new Board of Education building.
Also in 1893, the people of St. Louis voted for a big change. They decided the library should be run by its own group, separate from the schools. This group would be supported by a property tax. This meant the library no longer needed fees. It became free and open to everyone in St. Louis!
The library stayed in the Board of Education building until 1909. This was while the new Central Library was being built. The old building just wasn't big enough anymore. During this time, the library started letting people "check out" books. This meant they could take books home to read.
In 1901, a famous businessman named Andrew Carnegie gave a lot of money to the library. This money helped build new libraries, including the amazing Central Library we see today. By this time, the library had 90,000 books. By 1938, it had 900,000 items. And by 2014, it had a huge collection of 4.6 million items!
Where to Find the Library
The St. Louis Public Library has 17 locations. This includes the main Central Library. Some of the branch libraries are Baden, Barr, Buder, Cabanne, Carondelet, Carpenter, Central Express, Charing Cross, Compton, Julia Davis, Divoll, Kingshighway, Machacek, Marketplace, Schlafly, and Walnut Park.
The Barr, Cabanne, Carpenter, and Carondelet branches were special. They were built with money donated by Andrew Carnegie. These are known as Carnegie libraries.
The Main Central Library
The Central Library building is located at 13th and Olive Street. It was finished in 1912. A famous architect named Cass Gilbert designed it. The building has a cool oval shape in the middle. It also has four areas that let in lots of light.
The outside of the building is made of light gray granite stone. The front, facing Olive Street, looks like a giant archway. It has beautiful marble designs. A large entrance in the middle looks like a grand arch. At the back, the library faces a pretty sunken garden. Inside, some floors are made of glass that lets light through. The ceiling in the Periodicals Room is inspired by a design from the famous artist Michelangelo. The building was updated and made bigger between 2010 and 2012.
What You Can Do at the Library
The St. Louis Public Library offers many cool things for you to do and use:
- You can borrow movies on DVDs, Blu-Ray, and even old VHS tapes.
- They have audiobooks on CDs and special devices called playaways.
- You can also find lots of music CDs.
- There are special sections just for kids with books and activities.
- You can get a pass to use their computers.
- Computers have fast internet, printing, and word processing programs.
- They have a "Creative Experience" area. Here you can try out digital tools and make things.
- You can use digital services like Hoopla, Freegal Music, and Zinio for movies, music, and magazines.
- If a book isn't at their library, they can get it for you from another library through Interlibrary loan.
- They have "Launch Pads." These are tablets you can check out. They have fun and educational apps for kids.
- You can find materials specific to different neighborhoods.
- They have magazines and newspapers from all over the world.
- Librarians can help you find information for school projects or anything else.
- They host programs, special events, and visits from authors.
- You can even check out video games for PS4, Wii, Wii U, Xbox One, and Xbox 360.
- You can also register to vote there when you are old enough.
