The Toledo-Lucas County (OH) Public Library is celebrating its 175th anniversary this year. The library began in 1838 as a membership library under the auspices of the Toledo Young Men's Association. It didn't become a free public library until 1873. The central library building shown on the postcard above was opened in 1890. George S. Bobinski in his book Carnegie Libraries (ALA, 1969) indicates that Toledo received a grant from Andrew Carnegie for $125,000 in 1905 for five branch libraries. For some reason construction of these branches didn't begin until 1916. The current central library building was completed in 1940 and was significantly renovated and expanded in 2001.
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