Edwardsville Public Library

Edwardsville Public Library is a Carnegie library that opened in 1906. It is one of the oldest institutions in Edwardsville that still serves its purpose. It has been renovated numerous times since its opening. A full expansion and remodeling that kept the original integrity of the architecture and aesthetic was completed in 1991.

Travelers passing through Edwardsville on Route 66 during its heyday saw an imposing stone building on the side of the road. Those that stopped discovered the Edwardsville Public Library, one of the oldest institutions in Edwardsville that still serves its original purpose.

While Edwardsville has had a library in various forms since the 1820s, the current library owes its existence to Charles Boeschenstein and the famous turn of the twentieth century steel tycoon, Andrew Carnegie, and his philanthropic library construction program.¹ Boeschenstein, an influential political, economic, and media figure in Edwardsville, contacted Carnegie in 1903 and asked for money that would be used to construct a library.² Carnegie obliged by donating $12,500, and, after the city of Edwardsville provided land for the project, construction began in 1904.³ Completed in 1906, the library and the city of Edwardsville were grateful for Carnegie's donation, and in 1909 the library planned to hold a ceremony to honor Carnegie's "generosity" and sought to provide "statistics" that would demonstrate what the organization had "accomplished since it opened its doors to the public."⁴ Boeschenstein was also instrumental in making the library free to the public, as it was through his efforts that "the Edwardsville City Council passed a tax-levying ordinance that changed the institution from a subscription library to a free public library."⁵ In addition, he served for thirty years as the library's founding president.⁶

The library has been renovated numerous times since its creation. The first renovation was proposed in 1953, after the Boeschenstein family donated $60,000 for the purpose.⁷ The renovation began in December of 1955.⁸ However, on March 17th, 1956, as the renovations were nearing completion, a fire "gutted the south half" of the library, and, when combined with the damage caused by "smoke and moisture" in the north half, effectively destroyed the library's entire collection.⁹ While initial estimates placed the cost of the damage at $75,000, the total was later revised to $55,000.¹⁰ While repairs were conducted, the library offered "limited service" from a "temporary location at 222 St. Louis street."¹¹ Fortunately, the walls of the structure survived, and when repairs were complete, the library reopened in 1957.¹² In 1965 the library added a new wing to the existing structure that cost $61,000 and was projected to "almost double the library's book stack capacity."¹³ Due to Edwardsville's population growth over the following two decades, and the increased demand for the library's services, it became obvious that the library required a substantial expansion. In 1988, the library proposed a tax referendum to the city that sought to renovate the existing structure and significantly expand the size of the library. The library sought to preserve the building's architectural style, while increasing the structure's square feet (from 8,000 to 20,000). The referendum passed, and in 1989, construction began. In keeping with the desire to preserve the building's aesthetic, stone was used from the same quarry that provided the material for the original structure. The expansion and the remodeling were completed in 1991.¹⁴

The library has also undergone significant technological changes since the 1980s that reflect the rise of computers and the internet. The library's first computer, an Apple II-E, was acquired in the 1980s, and the library's catalog was completely digitized by 1986.¹⁵ The library once again benefited from the donations of wealthy philanthropists when the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation provided "two computer labs" and "financial support" for the library in 2002.¹⁶ Within a few years, the library "began to provide wireless Internet access" to its users.¹⁷ In recent years, in addition to providing "traditional" library services, the institution has embraced "electronic media" in the form of "audio and e-books" and offers members access to a variety of "databases and resources at no additional cost."¹⁸

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Researched and Written by Tyler Young

Uploaded on behalf of the Madison County Historical Society by Kiley Fuchs

1^ For more on Edwardsville's nineteenth century library, see Amy Anson, Kevin Becker, and Amanda Endicott, "History of the Edwardsville Public Library," Edwardsville Public Library, accessed February 4, 2021, https://www.edwardsvillelibrary.org/history-of-the-edwardsville-public-library.

2^ "Remodeled Public Library Scheduled to Open April 27," The Edwardsville Intelligencer, March 19, 1957.

3^ Amy Anson, Kevin Becker, and Amanda Endicott, "History of the Edwardsville Public Library," Edwardsville Public Library, accessed February 4, 2021, https://www.edwardsvillelibrary.org/history-of-the-edwardsville-public-library.

4^ "Carnegie Library Day," The Edwardsville Intelligencer, April 20, 1909.

5^ "Remodeled Public Library Scheduled to Open April 27," The Edwardsville Intelligencer, March 19, 1957.

6^ Ibid.

7^ Ibid.

8^ Ibid.

9^ "Library Damage Placed at $75,000," The Edwardsville Intelligencer, March 19, 1956.

10^ Ibid.; "Remodeled Public Library Scheduled to Open April 27," The Edwardsville Intelligencer, March 19, 1957.

11^ Homer Correll, "'56 Fire Meant Big Change in Library Here," The Edwardsville Intelligencer, November 15, 1960; "Remodeled Public Library Scheduled to Open April 27," The Edwardsville Intelligencer, March 19, 1957.

12^ Amy Anson, Kevin Becker, and Amanda Endicott, "History of the Edwardsville Public Library," Edwardsville Public Library, accessed February 4, 2021, https://www.edwardsvillelibrary.org/history-of-the-edwardsville-public-library.

13^ Eldon Knoche, "Chaos at Edwardsville Library Will End Soon," The Edwardsville Intelligencer, November 18, 1964.

14^ Amy Anson, Kevin Becker, and Amanda Endicott, "History of the Edwardsville Public Library," Edwardsville Public Library, accessed February 4, 2021, https://www.edwardsvillelibrary.org/history-of-the-edwardsville-public-library.

15^ Ibid.

16^ Ibid.

17^ Ibid.

18^ Jill Moon, "Edwardsville Public Library offers modern mix with audio & e-books, traditional material," The Telegraph, July 7, 2019, https://www.thetelegraph.com/news/article/Edwardsville-Public-Library-offers-modern-mix-14071931.php

Young, Tyler. Accessed November 6th 2021.