Connecticut's Library Heritage
by Lois D. Baldini
In 1883, Silas L. Bradley, a North Haven native and former resident, left a bequest of $1000 to the town to be used to establish a library. The library, chartered in 1884, opened its doors in the home of Dr. Austin Lord, on October 2, 1884. Its first librarian was Alice Lord, daughter of Dr. Lord. The library remained in the Lord home until 1887, when space considerations made it necessary to move to the newly constructed Memorial Town Hall. Subscription fees in addition to another $1000 donation from Jane Bradley, by then widow of Silas Bradley, the original benefactor, supported the library at that time.
In 1893, at their annual town meeting, townspeople voted that $150 be given to the library with the condition its services be free and open to the public. On October 3, 1893 the directors declared North Haven's library to be a free public library. In 1907 the library name was changed from the Bradley Association to the North Haven Memorial Library. The directors believed the memorial designation would acknowledge the importance memorial donations had in the establishment of the library and might encourage future donations.
In 1938, a new library was dedicated on the corner of Elm St. and Broadway, the result of a large bequest from the estate of Frank L. Stiles, a local brick manufacturer. Delia Viles and Olivia Heaton donated the site in memory of their parents, Polly and Alfred
Linsley.
The Memorial Library Association continued to administer the library into the 1960s. By the late 60s, the association realized the need to clarify its relationship to the town in light of the substantial town support it was receiving. It was realized that in the best interest of the town, ownership and operation of the library should be placed under town control. In 1970, the association offered the town the library building and all the land deeded to them in return for a new library facility. At a town meeting in July 1970, $850,000 was approved for new construction. The new and fourth home of the North Haven Memorial Library was erected on the ball field behind the existing structure and dedicated on June 25, 1972.
Space once again became an issue in the late 90s and in 1999, a $10 million capital improvement project was brought to a town meeting for a vote. The plan included a $5 million addition and renovation to the library. The proposal passed, and in December 1999 the library closed its doors and staff prepared for the move to a smaller, temporary building by both weeding the existing collection and designating 90% of other materials for an off-site storage facility. Six weeks later, the library opened at the Knights of Columbus building on Broadway. This temporary site brought the library back to its original location, that of the home of Austin Lord. The library operated from this location for almost two years before the move back to the new library. Our doors opened to the public in our new facility on December 3, 2001, just shy of two years from the time they had closed.
The building has been completely renovated and a new second floor and expansion of the front lobby has added 9250 square feet to our existing facility. We now enjoy 29,450 square feet of useable space.
The lower level houses the Children's Room, which contains a separate program room, a wall of computers, and designated areas for the very young through the sixth grade.
The main level is home to the circulation department, reference, non-fiction, new books, biography, the Rotary Job and Career Corner, and two banks of public access computers. Two independent study rooms are also on this level.
Technical services and administrative offices occupy the new second floor, along with older fiction, magazines, and all non-print media. Quiet reading areas and ample seating are evident on all three floors.
Our Community Room seats 100 people and is located on the ground level along with the staff lounge. In the spring, an outdoor reading garden, a gift of the North Haven Memorial Library Association, will be constructed for story times, leisure reading, and quiet reflection. We are proud of our new library and look forward to visits from the library community.