Everett Public Library

The Everett Public Library (EPL) serves the residents of Everett, Washington. EPL operates a main library at 2702 Hoyt Avenue and the Evergreen branch, at 9512 Evergreen Way. The main library overlooks Puget Sound and the southern end of Whidbey Island. The library has noteworthy artworks, including works by Dudley Pratt, Ransom Patrick, Guy Anderson, Jack Gunter, and Sonja Blomdahl. The library circulates over 900,000 items per year, provides exceptional book and media collections, reference services, on-line resources, in-home library services, and programs for adults, children and families. The library’s staff includes specialists in adult reference, children’s books, local history and career information. The Everett Public Library introduced a bookmobile service in May 1924; the first of its kind in Washington state, and the second in the West. It is also one of the few public library systems in the United States that has two full-time historians on staff, David Dilgard and Melinda Van Wingen. Historian Margaret Riddle retired after 31 years. They have produced one of the most robust digital local history collections ever produced by a public library.

History

Everett Public Library's vault-ceilinged main reading room. Behind the trees, a truncated second floor overlooks the space. Photo by Cameron Johnson.

The town of Everett had incorporated, then shortly afterward its growth was halted by the Panic of 1893. The Everett Public Library was created on June 10, 1894 by the Everett Women's Book Club. On that day a group of local women met in the home of Mary Lincoln Brown to form the Book Club that would have as its aim the "improvement of the mind through the study of literature", but more specifically, the establishment of a public library.

The initial collection of 1,000 books was donated by members of women's clubs across the country. Gathering books and petitioning City Council when funds were scarce, the Everett Women’s Book Club set up a temporary library in the home of a member, and in 1898 the city offered them three rooms in City Hall, and service began. The Club continued to work for permanent quarters, next moving to a small building, and in 1905 the Everett Public Library became a Carnegie library after it received a $25,000 Carnegie grant to design an official library for the city of Everett.

Everett started the first bookmobile service in Washington state, and the second in the West in 1924. Nicknamed Pegasus, the Model T Ford remained in service until 1950. In 1992 the library re-acquired the vehicle, and began restoring it to as close to its original condition as possible. Now Pegasus participates in 4 July parades and other community events, and lays claim to being the world's oldest extant bookmobile.

By 1930 Everett had outgrown the Carnegie building, but with the Great Depression there was little hope of a new building. Industrialist Leonard Howarth left a bequest to the city which was used to erect a new $100,000 library at 2702 Hoyt Avenue. Seattle architect Carl F. Gould designed the facility, which opened October 3, 1934.

In 1962, the library expanded, doubling its shelving capacity. In 1981 an anonymous donor gave the library $75,000 to computerize its circulation, cataloging, and inventory systems. In 1985, the Evergreen Branch is opened, and in 1987 funding was approved to add an additional 20,000 square feet (1,900 m²) to the Main Library.

In 1991 expansion of the Main Library was completed. This expansion was designed by the Cardwell/Thomas Architects and B. Craig Thompson of Dykeman Architects. The expansion won an award from the American Institute of Architects. Except for some exterior renovation, the building remains largely unchanged, at 54,985 sq ft (5,108.3 m²), shelving capacity for 250,000 volumes and a parking garage that can hold 115 vehicles.

The original building, located at 3001 Oakes, still stands but no longer houses the library. Over the years, it has been used as a funeral parlor, housed Snohomish County executive offices, and other County functions. The 1905 building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Collections

Digital collections

Digital collections include:

• Everett massacre [1] - 215 images including photographs, art work, oral histories and movies
• Everett Herald [2] - 131 images

Directors

• Alice McFarland (later Alice Duryee), April 1898-April 1900
• Gretchen Hathaway, April 1900-May 1907
• Jessie B. Judd, Interim Librarian, May 1907
• Adelaide E. Wharton, June 19907-February 1914
• Mary Frank, February 1914-July 1916 (reportedly the first trained librarian to hold the position)
• Elizabeth Topping, July 1916-June 1919
• Mabel Ashley, June 1919-April 1946
• Fred M. Stephen, April 1946-September 1949
• Phil Blodgett, October 1949-April 1973
• Gary Strong, April 1973-October 1976
• Victoire Grassl, Interim director, November 1976-January 1977
• Mark Nesse, February 1977-February 2007
• Eileen Simmons, (a Library Journal 2007 Mover & Shaker) March 2007-

External links

• Everett Public Library's web site
• Everett Public Library history
• CONTENTdm Collection
• Everett Public Library at LibraryTechnology.org
• Everett Public Library building at 1934
• Publications by the library, WorldCat
• Everett Public Library, gallery of photos of art and architecture, by Cardwell Architects, who restored and designed a major addition to the library