[4] After the Fratres Literarium disbanded, taxidermist Fritz Warner founded the Academy of Natural Science, Art, and Literature and inherited the contents of the F.L.
After Warner’s taxidermy business failed, the Odd Fellows fraternal order kept the collection in the Breinig & Bachman building at 6th and Hamilton street.
The President called the previous letters “misleading” and stated that the purpose of the Girls’ Reading Room was to provide “a place where the working girls and working women of our city could find pleasant associations and rest after the day’s toil, and where...they would be inspired to lead pure and useful lives.” The President insisted that the Girls’ Reading Room could never “form the foundation of Allentown’s future public library.”[10] In January 1896, an article in the Allentown Leader observed that Allentown was not making progress in starting a public library, and claimed that the school board had the authority to levy a tax in order to gather “a good collection of books for public use at very trifling cost to taxpayers.”[11] In 1898 the W.C.T.U.
[12] In 1890, a number of ladies formed the “Women’s League” of Allentown, “for the purpose of self-improvement and to take up such work as might be of public benefit.”[13] The Women’s League began to hold a Kalendar Fest, or “Kirmess,” in order to secure funds to establish “the nucleus of a public library in the near future.”[14] The first such entertainment was an operetta called “Voices of Nature” by Mrs. E. B. Byington, on February 7, 1891.
[13] Mary Lewis, then president of the Women’s League, led a committee to begin a library at the Allentown Oratorio Society, located at 37-39 South Seventh Street.
The latter is large, comfortable and well lighted, being in every sense an ideal place for an hour or two of quiet reading or research.”[16] In January 1904, the library on South Seventh Street had 1406 volumes, 95 subscribers, and reported a total of 3899 checkouts in 1903.
[17] In 1907, the staff was “composed of Miss Sara Deifer, Librarian; Parke Sherer assistant Librarian and Miss Jeanie Weaber Emergency Librarian.”[18] In 1907, Mrs. Blanche Travena, nee Phifer, the acknowledged “prime moving spirit of the M. U. M. Circle,” asked Mrs. Samuel B. Lewis for a suggestion for a use of the Circle’s surplus funds.
[19][20] In July 1908, the M. U. M. (Members Until Married) Circle commissioned the architect L. S. Jacoby to begin plans for the construction of a public library on 914 Hamilton Street.
[30] Dr. George T. Ettinger, President of the Allentown Public Library Association, reported that he received “letters and verbal assurances from all classes of our citizens” that signified that wanted to contribute to this cause, “not only to liquidate the indebtedness on the property at No.
The board “unanimously voted to give every pupil in the public schools an opportunity to assist in the movement by contribution toward it,” in the form of coin envelopes.
As soon as the money is raised for the paying of the debts now resting on it, as well as the necessary funds for the equipment and necessary running expenses, it will cease to be a subscription library and become absolutely free for all the people.”[32] On March 18, the Allentown Democrat reported that donations had added up to $12,241, thus liquidating “all debts against the Allentown Free Library.”[33] The next day the amount was amended to $12,757.
[35] In November 1912 the original mortgage was finally settled with Treasurer Max Hess, and the building was officially freed from debt.
The article mentions that the library building would have the paintings “The Village of Montmorency” by Lehigh County native Peter Alfred Gross, “Port of Marseilles” by Johanes Martin Grimelund, a landscape by A. N. Lindenmuth, and “an oil painting of Mrs. Jack Travena, nee Blanche Phifer, who did so much for the cause,” also by Lindenmuth.
[43] The Allentown Leader later printed the names of people who signed a petition to the school board: “business men, professional men, laborers, artisans and mechanics – who ask that the School Board appropriate enough to keep the Library open.” The Leader also remarked that “Easton has a library tax and so have other cities.
The school district also acquired the property on the southern half of the 1200 Hamilton block, where the Asbury Methodist Church once stood before it was consumed by a fire, to be converted into a parking lot.
[59] In August, the school board approved the preliminary plan of Breslin Ridyard Fadero, the architectural firm, and authorized them to begin work on the new library building.
The Allentown Public Library Board began advertising for bids for the demolition of the old brownstone building at 1202-1204 Hamilton Street.
[60] In January 1976 the campaign for raising money received $500,000 from the Harry C. Trexler Foundation, and a combined $250,000 from the Call-Chronicle Newspapers and Donald P. Miller, the publisher.
Director Kathryn Stephanoff explained why the library needed a new facility: “Our basement is stacked from the floor to ceiling and the material is inaccessible to the public.
The total cost “including acquisition, construction and equipment fees is $3,688,805.06.” Staff member Ethel Kistler stated that library had 210,000 books.
In January 1928, the Northeast Branch of the Allentown Public Library opened on 412 Washington Street, in the western corner of the Stravino apartment building.
[82] The library board authorized the installation of a telephone in the Northeast Branch that year, “in order to afford better service for its patrons.”[83] Jenny Israel resigned in May 1944, due to ill health.
Daily inter-branch delivery service would make any book available quickly to any borrower within the system.”[85] In 1966 the branch manager, Janet S. Minich, resigned.
[90] Mrs. Robert A. Weinert, president of the Lehigh County Council of Republican Women, donated five volumes to the Mamie Eisenhower Library Project at the East Branch.
[94] The new East Branch Library, “in a newly renovated wing of Midway Manor Elementary School at Tacoma and Pennsylvania streets,” officially opened in the second week of March in 1982.
[95] In May 1991, the Allentown Public Library relocated the East Branch again, this time to Pathmark Shopping Center at Maxwell and Hanover streets.
[97] In April 1994, Kathryn Stephanoff announced that the library would not renew the three-year lease on the Pathmark location, due to declining circulation.
[98] In February 1965, director John McAvin announced plans for a South Side Branch in the Mountainville Shopping Center.
[104] In 1973, Allentown City Council proposed that the South Branch be moved to 601 W. Emmaus Ave., the location of the former Mountainville Pharmacy building.
The current location in the Mountainville Shopping Center, they said, was “too small and no longer wanted in view of an increase in rent.” The council proposed that the city of Allentown purchase the former pharmacy building and lease it cheaply to the school district.