History of Glenolden Library

            In the pleasant decade known as the Gay Nineties, the Glenolden Library was born.  In 1891, Mr. J. Duncan Brooks, a Sunday School teacher who was interested in cultural development of his class, organized a club to form a free public reading room.  The club’s name was Clio Urania.  Mr. Brooks had noted that YMCA units in many towns were establishing public reading rooms, and felt that even if Glenolden had no YMCA, it might at least have a reading room.  Such a room was to be primarily for the benefit of Clio Uranis, but it would also be open to the public. 

            A little stone building, which stood next to the lot, now vacant, on the corner of Ashland Ave. and Chester Pike, was secured and Mr. Brooks found himself and his group floundering beyond their depth.  He persuaded his wife to call together a group of women to serve as an auxiliary. The name of this auxiliary was called the Women’s Auxiliary of the Reading Room Association of Glenolden.  The ladies, at once, began to collect money to aid the free reading room and for a building fund. 

           Almost at once came great dissatisfaction with the name, which was a bit prolonged for convenience.  Finally, the name “Glenolden Library” was settled on. On June 30, 1894, the Glenolden Library was issued a Charter. 

            In 1897, the Library Association voted to assist the gentlemen of the Borough in establishing a Lyceum and Reading Room in Glenolden Hall without surrendering either their money or their separate identity. 

          In 1917, reorganization resulted in a reading room in the school building.  The library was open Monday from 4-5PM and Fridays from 8-9PM for several years. 

            After World War I until 1937, Glenolden’ population doubled.  The Glenolden Woman’s Club sponsored a Public Library.  Borough Council paid rental for the library in what was a former real estate office on Chester Pike.  A drive was conducted for books. 

            The Woman’s Club Volunteers finally opened the Library to the public in April 1938.  Membership was $1.00 per year and a contributing membership was $5.00 per year.  They had a circulation of 600 to 1100 books a month.  The fabled and magic building fund, which amounted to $5721.46, could finally be used for the actual building of a library. 

            In 1938, Borough Council agreed to provide a site at the southern corner of Knowles Ave. and Llanwellyn Ave. for the building of a library.  Mrs. Mary Ridgway Lundy donated the lot in 1909 in memory of her mother. 

            Notices were sent out to all persons known to have been members, in good standing, at the last meeting of the Library Association in 1917.  In May 1939, a resolution was passed to contribute the funds of the Library Association to the Borough of Glenolden for erecting and maintaining a public library.  In the summer of 1939, with stone from the borough quarry and home labor paid from WPA funds, construction began.  The corner stone was laid on November 11, 1939. 

            The Woman’s Club of Glenolden furnished the Assembly Room and Kitchen; Mrs. Lundy furnished the Juvenile Reading Room and trees for the property.  Mrs. Lundy, also, established the Ridgway-Lundy Fund to be used for reference material.  The Library Board furnished the Adult Reading Room.  The Library was staffed with a part-time librarian, Miss Margaret Shannon, and volunteers from the Women’s Club of Glenolden.  Miss Shannon was librarian until 1942. 

            Mrs. Dorothy Milligan became librarian in 1947 and continued to serve until 1963.  Mrs. Grace Crawford took over as librarian in 1964 and continued to serve until 1976.  Mrs. Jeanne Morgan became librarian in 1976 and served until 1985.  Mrs. Jacqueline Boggs, took over as librarian in 1985.

            During the 1970’s the Glenolden Library joined with the other 27 libraries in Delaware County to form the District Library Center with help from the Free Library of Philadelphia and the State of Pennsylvania. 

            In 1987, the Glenolden Library and the other libraries in the county joined together to form the Delaware County Library System.  This allowed all the libraries in the county to benefit from various grants and monies from the state.  It provides services to the libraries that they would not have afforded on their own.  The system allows patrons access to all the libraries in the county.

            The Glenolden Library, along with lending books; offers various programs & services to its patrons.  The programs include: Preschool Story Hours, Summer Reading Programs, Science Programs, Book Discussion Groups, & Seasonal Crafts. The services include: Videos, DVD’s, Compact Discs, Books on Tape & CD, Large Print Books, Computer Software, Magazines, Interlibrary Loan, Internet Access & Use of Computer, use of Photocopier and Fax Machine, & Tax Forms. 

            The Glenolden Borough and the State of Pennsylvania, as well as, contributions from the Woman’s Club of Glenolden; other organizations; individual donations and memorials finance the Library. 

            The Library is comprised of 7 Board Members and a staff of 7 employees and 3 volunteers responsible for providing library services to the community and the surrounding areas.