University of Northern Iowa UNI ScholarWorks Graduate Research Papers Student Work 1972 The Enoch Pratt Free Library Ruth A. Allen University of Northern Iowa Let us know how access to this document benefits ouy Copyright ©1972 Ruth A. Allen Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.uni.edu/grp Part of the Library and Information Science Commons Recommended Citation Allen, Ruth A., "The Enoch Pratt Free Library" (1972). Graduate Research Papers. 1759. https://scholarworks.uni.edu/grp/1759 This Open Access Graduate Research Paper is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Work at UNI ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Graduate Research Papers by an authorized administrator of UNI ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact [email protected]. The Enoch Pratt Free Library Find Additional Related Research in UNI ScholarWorks To find elatedr research in UNI ScholarWorks, go to the collection of School Library Studies Graduate Research Papers written by students in the Division of School Library Studies, Department of Curriculum and Instruction, College of Education, at the University of Northern Iowa. Abstract A brief history of the Enoch Pratt Free Library in Baltimore, Maryland. This open access graduate research paper is available at UNI ScholarWorks: https://scholarworks.uni.edu/grp/1759 THE ENOCH PRATT FREE LIBRARY Ruth A. Allen 35: 110 July 19, 1972 1 Enoch Pratt was described by George Peabody as "one of the ablest financiers I have ever known," yet he believed that those with great for­ tunes had a responsibility to the masses who had little or no opportunity for education. When he said "My library shall be for all, rich and poor, without distinction of race and color" he summed up his con­ clusions of fifteen years of study of the library question and of the problem of applying his wealth to the advantage of the greatest number of his fellow townsmen. The success of a free circulating library service to mechanics and skilled laborers undoubtedly influenced Enoch Pratt. Its limited scope of services and its remoteness from many who would have made use of its collection was evidence of the need for city-wide services. 1 Ground had already been broken in January of 1882, when Pratt addressed a letter to the city council stating his intent to build a central building and four branches for a public free circulating library, and formally offering the buildings and an endowment of $833,333.33to the city of Baltimore. The city council accepted his offer and the State Legislature approved an annual income of $50,000 to the Library from the investment of the endowment fund. 2 The two-story white marble library, "covered with florid decora­ tion," was generally representative of nineteenth century libraries. It had a closed stack arrangement, a delivery room near the entrance, and a smaller adjoining room to register borrowers and return books. A huge stairway led to the second floor where the public reading room and offices were located.3 1Luther H. Evans, "The First Fifty Years, the Enoch Pratt Free Library: An Appreciation," Library Journal, 71:2J0, April 1, 1970. 2 Ibid., p. 230-1. 3 Philip Arthur Kalish, The Enoch Pratt Free Library: A Social History," (Metuchen, New Jersey: Scarecrow Press, 1969), p. 62-3. 2 In 1884, Dr. Lewis Henry Steiner, a distinguished physician and scholar, was appointed the first librarian; and in 1886 the central building of the Enoch Pratt Free Library with its 32,000 volumes welcomed its first borrower. Within eight weeks the four branch libraries were also opened to the public. In its first year the Pratt Library with a staff of forty assistants and a payroll of $2455.50 recorded a total circulation of 410,215 volumes to 26,000 patrons.4 Steiner made a special effort to put a wide variety of books at the disposal of the patrons, excluding only those that were "positively injurious to the moral sense." He was convinced that hfs plan of placing a large amount of fiction or "books of amusement" in the library along with the "more important and elementary books" would "yield fruit by gaining the public's attention.H Then with the habit of read.iµg established, more serious and scholarly works would take their place. The book collection, classified according to the system worked out by William Frederick Poole at the Chicago Library,6 was scholarly, leaning heavily toward English literature, religion and history. Several hundred French and German books were added to the collection for foreign-born immigrants and contributed substantially to the circulation in the next several years.7 Upstairs.in the reading room there were more than one hundred fifty periodicals and newspapers.8 4 Evans, op, cit, p. 231, 5Kalish, op. cit., p. 66-7. 6Ibid., p. 64. ?Evans, op. cit., p. 232. ~Kalish, op. cit., p. 67. J After Dr. Steiner's death in 1892, his son Bernard succeeded him as librarian and carried on the Steiner tradition. The second Steiner combined teaching in universities and researching and writing on historical subjects with administration of the Library. His articles and books relating to Maryland's history alone number almost ninety.9: He had had no formal training or experience in library ad.ministration, was considered extremely conservative, and believed that "the library is the continuation school of the people."10 Steiner's efforts to provide only the best literature for the public caused some misunderstanding and resentment. When the Baltimore American accused him of taking books considered taboo off the shelves, he claimed that "a few writers of light novels" were excluded because "the material of the books would not stand the wear and strain ot circulation." He felt also that it was his duty to "expel" books that he thought were "too morbid a character for circulation by a library of this kind."11 In order to provide Baltimore with library service comparable to cities of equal size, Steiner worked tirelessly. But "the greatest obstacle to development and expansion lay in the failure of the municipal authorities to provide ad.equate support for the Library." The city did increase the annual appropriation in 1920 to $139,953 from $59,203 in 1919, but this did not offset the years of having the lowest appropriation percapita, the smallest staff, and the lowest salaries among large American city libraries. The appropriation for 192b, the year of Steiner's death was $246,601, less than thirty cents percapita, and hardly more 9Evans, op. cit., p. 232. 10Kal1sh, op. cit., p. 81. 11 Ib i d., p. t$ 1 -2. 4 than one-fourth the one dollar rate then accepted as essential for adequate public library support.12 Though appropriations were inadequate the Library did extend its services in a number of ways. It organized boy's and girl's clubs and women's clubs and used all the facilities available for distributing books. In 1904 there were 149 points for distribution of books, including public schools, private schools, reformatories, department stores, police stations, playgrounds and engine houses. Pratt Library also prepared the books that the,State Library Commission sent out in 20 traveling libraries, and began distributing books for the blind that it had acquired a number of years before throughout the state.13 The need for special services was met in 1916 by the establishment of the Department of Natural Sciences and Useful Arts and the Children's Department, and in 1921 Fine Arts and Education Departments were opened. 14 An appeal to Andrew Carnegie for funds to build branch libraries resulted in Carnegie's offer in 1906 of $500,000 for 20 branch libraries in parts of Baltimore previously unreached by library services.15 Steiner brought the library to the attention of the public in.a number of ways such as distributing 50,000 slips in the pay envelopes of mill workers and placing show cases in the Cathedral Street anne~ windows. These displays were developed around subjects ranging from needlework to football. 16 12Evans, op. cit., p. 233. 13Ibid., p. 233-4. 14Ibid., p. 234. 15Ibid.~ 16Ibid.- 5 In the thirty-four years of Steiner's tenure, the number of volumes had increased by four times and the annual circulation had climbed to over 1,000,000. He had not reached the objective of having a branch library within walking distance of every resident of Baltimore, but there was progress in that in 1926 there were twaaty-six branches compared to five in 1892. 17 However, Pratt had many shortcomings and lacked the dynamic approach that would have greatly extended its services. Visiting that Library in 1920, one had difficulty even finding the decrepit old building which was hidden away on Mulberry Street. H. L. Menchken pronounced the structure •so infernally hideous that it ought to be pulled down by the common hangman,' adding that 'nothing more dreadful was built in Baltimore during the awful eighties.' A book exhibit in one of the windows used books so old that they looked like they were advertising a second hand book shop. 18 Catalog volumes were chained to stands to keep the public from taking them. There were no open shelves, a reader jotted down the call number, author, and title and took it to the delivery room where "slip chaseers" hunted down the book. Some were stored in remote, dark cellars and timid slip chaseers simply wrote "out" on the slips to avoid going down there. In the delivery room there were a few new current books, and one could request to look at one, possibly a second, but nobody could have a third chance.