Library Study

New Orleans Library Study

LIBR 280-12
History of Books and Libraries
San Jose State University

Professor Beth Wrenn-Estes

Stephanie Hawkins

May 14, 2012

Introduction

A postcard of the Main Library circa 1920.

The New Orleans Public Library has taken many twists and turns as it has grown from a small venture originally outlined in the will of Abijah Fisk to the large library with 13 branches that exists today.  This blog will look at the origins of the library, the disasters that occurred, funding sources, people involved with the growth and natural disasters that have created problems for the buildings and staff.  Another problem that has faced New Orleans, perhaps more than other libraries, is the issue of segregation between the races.  How do you serve the people, all the free people, when slavery is over and yet not so much in the south?   Overall, the flavor and problems involved in creating and maintaining a library in New Orleans were exciting to study.

Founders

The first public library was actually created by a donation to the city from Abijah Fisk upon his death in 1845.  “I give, devise and bequeath to the city of New Orleans my house at the corner of Customhouse and Bourbon streets, on condition that it shall be applied to the keeping of a library for the use and benefit of the citizens of said city, and to be used for no other purpose.” (Fisk, 1843).  His brother, Alvarez, purchased several thousand dollars of books several years later and pushed to open the library.  Even in the 1840’s politics were causing problems with the implementation of Abijah’s wonderful donation.  It seems that  the smaller towns within New Orleans could not agree on what to do so nothing was getting done. 

This picture is of Abijah Fisk and is courtesy of the New Orleans Public Library website.

This is Alvarez Fisk, brother of Abijah and is also courtesy of the New Orleans Public Library Website.

Once the three towns were consolidated into one city, Alvarez was able to convince the council to proceed with the library open to everyone.  Finally, the city and Alvarez agreed to allow the Mechanics Society to house and manage the library but in a new building.  Thank goodness!  The library was finally open but not in the house that Abijah Fisk left to the city.

Founders continued

The brothers, Abijah and Alvarez Fisk were merchants who worked with cotton, sugar, coffee, and other goods.  It was this industry that made them wealthy and able to provide the donations to the city they loved.  Their early lives are harder to locate, however, making them an interesting enigma.  Of course, due to numerous fires, hurricanes and floods many records in New Orleans have disappeared forever.  It is due to the ties to the public libraries that there are any records at all.   

The Grand Opening in 1852

Once the Mechanics Society, which was formed to support the mechanics, artists and manufacturers in New Orleans, was charged with handling the Fisk library, the books were moved to the society building on Phillipa Street and everything was quickly ready to go.  Finally in 1852 the library was open.  Tragedy struck a few years later, however, when fire hit the building burning it and everything in it to the ground.   Over the next four decades, the library was rebuilt on the same location but it struggled to develop much of a patronage and slowly the dream appeared to be disappearing.

Mechanics Society Building where the first library in New Orleans sponsored by the Fisk Brothers was housed. Picture from New Orleans 1867

Library free from the start

Unlike some libraries that were reading rooms before they became libraries, Abijah Fisk planned his donation for a free library right from the start.  Now, free was not necessarily free by today’s standards.  It is unlikely that Africans, Creoles, and Native Americans would have been allowed in.  Especially before the Civil War ended and probably afterwards as well although this is speculation because as previously noted, most records have been lost due to fires, floods or hurricanes.  The definition of free during the 19^th century in the South did not generally apply to anyone of “color” and it is unlikely that the city council would change the rules and break with longstanding tradition for a library. 

The library for public school students

The other library established in the mid 18^th century was a subscription library for public school students.  Established in 1844 by one of the municipality sub councils, this collection became called the City Library in the 1880’s when it was moved to city hall (NOPL Centennial, ).   The fee required to use the collection helped maintain and expand it.