The Saint John Free Public Library incorporated in 1883, was the first tax-supported

public library A public library is a library, most often a lending 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 servic ...

in Saint John,

New Brunswick New Brunswick is a Provinces and Territories of Canada, province of Canada, bordering Quebec to the north, Nova Scotia to the east, the Gulf of Saint Lawrence to the northeast, the Bay of Fundy to the southeast, and the U.S. state of Maine to ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

, 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 A market square (also known as a market place) is an urban square meant for trading, in which a market is held. It is an important feature of many towns and cities around the world. A market square is an open area where market stalls are tradit ...

complex, East Branch in the Saint John Transit Building, and West Branch in 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 Mechanics' institutes, also known as mechanics' institutions, sometimes simply known as institutes, and also called schools of arts (especially in the Australian colonies), were educational establishments originally formed to provide adult educ ...

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

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 Mechanics' institutes, also known as mechanics' institutions, sometimes simply known as institutes, and also called schools of arts (especially in the Australian colonies), were educational establishments originally formed to provide adult edu ...

. 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 educating activities in order to gain new knowledge, skills, attitudes, or values. Merriam, Sharan B. & Brockett, Ralph G. ''The Pr ...

materials, talking books for the visually and physically challenged 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 or mature-age 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 di ...

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 (), is the region of Eastern Canada comprising four provinces: New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. As of 2021, the landmass of the four Atlantic pr ...

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

References

Sources

Saint John Free Public Library Information Page
*

Carnegie Libraries in Canada Carnegie may refer to: People *Carnegie (surname), including a list of people with the name **Andrew Carnegie, Scottish-American industrialist and philanthropist * Clan Carnegie, a lowland Scottish clan Institutions Named for Andrew Carnegie * ...

History of The Carnegie Building

External links

New Brunswick Public Libraries Saint John Free Public LibraryCity of Saint John
{{Authority control Public libraries in New Brunswick Carnegie libraries in Canada Education in Saint John, New Brunswick Culture of Saint John, New Brunswick Tourist attractions in Saint John, New Brunswick Buildings and structures in Saint John, New Brunswick Libraries established in 1883 Municipal government of Saint John, New Brunswick 1883 establishments in New Brunswick