This document chronicles the evolution of the Norwalk (Ohio) Public Library (established in 1866) from a small collection in an upper room in the Old Mansion Block building to a Carnegie facility which has been renovated to meet today's needs, including accessibility to the handicapped. Funding for the first reading room was provided by the Alert…

This paper presents a historical account of the Myron T. Herrick Memorial Library (Wellington, Ohio) created by collocation of the majority of documented information from the 1840s to the 1990s. Information was primarily taken from written sources such as monographs, papers, essays, letters, statistical reports, and meeting notes, though some…

Edward Christopher Williams had a major impact on librarianship, not only as the first documented African American to graduate from a library school, but also as a developer of education for librarians and as an active member of the American Library Association (ALA) and the Ohio Library Association. This study used the historical methodology…

This paper presents a history of the Hiram College (Hiram, Ohio) library from 1950 to 1995. It highlights important events and decisions made in the construction and opening of the new library building on September 7, 1995 and shows how this achievement has revitalized the spirit and optimism of everyone involved. The paper also presents the…

The Rutherford B. Hayes Library opened in 1916, when the building in Fremont, Ohio was dedicated as the first presidential library and museum. The library's original purpose was to preserve the 12,000 volume personal library of President Hayes along with archival material from his careers in law, the military, and politics. This was a radical idea…

Very little has been written about Bible college libraries in the United States, even though they have been in existence since the early 1880s. This study presents the history of Cincinnati Bible College Library, tracing its development from its inception in 1928 over the years and showing how it has followed the mission statement of its parent…

This paper traces the history of the toy library, a facility or program created to loan toys to children, parents, child care providers, teachers, and play therapists. Types of toy lending libraries are the community toy library, the supplemental toy library, the cooperative neighborhood toy library, and the mobile toy library. The first toy…

This paper covers the history of the Canton Public/Stark County District Library (CPL), focusing on the years 1929-1997. The paper focuses on the broadening of the library's services, including the development of reference services, service to young adults, and a variety of outreach activities. A literature review discusses the history of the…

The Black Heritage Public Library in Findlay, Ohio was begun by Nina Parker in 1981 to fill the gaps of black representation in American history and literature. The mission of one woman to counter the biased representation in local schools and present African-American history as a crucial piece of American history previously denied to all…