HISTORY OF THE LIBRARY
"It is from personal experience that I feel that there is no human arrangement so powerful for good, there is no benefit that can be bestowed upon a community so great as that which places within reach all the treasures of the world which are stored up in books"
...quote from Andrew Carnegie
The Bristol Public Library has long been a source of pride to its local residents. Located near the center of Bristol Township at St. Rt. 45 and St. Rt. 88, the library continues to be a focal point for not only the Bristol community, but for much of northern Trumbull County as well.
Built in 1912, Bristol Public Library is still known as a Carnegie library, one of the many libraries built around that time period in the United States through the generosity of a philanthropist at the time, Andrew Carnegie. Carnegie donated $6000 towards the building of the library. The land for the 3525 square foot two-story library was donated by Judge and Mrs. Norman Gilbert. The judge donated many of his books and the library sent out postcards asking people for donations to help build the collection.*
Since that time the library has grown and changed. A 5132 square foot addition, which now houses most of the library's services, was added to the back of the building in 1989. The Carnegie part was renovated and is used for offices, a meeting room, a history room, a reading area, and storage.
Today, the library's collection consists of over 40,000 items including puppets, books, magazines, videos, cassettes, CD-ROM's and CD's. Computers are now used to access the catalog of materials and Internet access is also available.
The library also offers reading programs for all ages throughout the year.
Other services are also provided. Patrons may register to vote, apply for a Golden Buckeye Card, obtain forms for HEAP and Ohio Energy Credit, income tax forms, and student financial aid forms. Photocopying, faxing and lamination are also available.
It's still a "very complete and attractive Carnegie Library" as one early newspaper article refers to it . . . a library which now truly places all the treasures of the world within reach.
Reprinted from the 1997 Bristol Homecoming booklet
author: Jeanne Wisniewski, Webmaster at Bristol Public Library
The following is the poem which appeared on the back of the postcard sent out by the library asking for donations of books:
"The New Library at Bristolville
Is in need of a book or two still;
We write to inquire if you yourself
Wouldn't like to place one on its shelf?
Donate any kind you select,
No one will at all object.
Be it history or fiction,
There is no restriction.
If you have a book on art
Or one dealing with the heart;
A worn one concerning theology,
Send it without an apology.
We leave it to your own selection,
Trusting we will receive a good collection."
The historical area in the Bristol Public Library has many aritifacts, pictures, a few genealogy books, atlases of the area, and old newspaper clippings on area events. This area also displays the Maltby collection.
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