Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, South Side Branch 4 CLP.20170801.006
- Language
- English
- Repository
- Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh Archives and Special Collections
- Title
- Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, South Side Branch 4
- Collection Number
- CLP.20170801.006
- Extent
- 1 Linear Feet Two boxes
- Date
- 1990-2012
- Publisher
- Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh Archives and Special Collections
- Address
- 4400 Forbes Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15201
info@carnegielibrary.org
URL: http://www.carnegielibrary.org/
Content Description
The collection consists of documents pertaining to branch history, the history of the surrounding area, and library renovation.
Arrangement
The collection is arranged in the original order the materials were received in. Oversized materials including blueprint plans, photographs of library events, and a petition for the new South Side Library are included as "Box 2, Folders 1-3".
Biographical / Historical
The South Side Branch opened in 1909, the last of the Pittsburgh libraries to be built with funding from Andrew Carnegie. The library was erected at the corner of East Carson and 22nd Streets, and it remains in this location today. At the time of the branch's opening, the South Side was a major industrial center for the city of Pittsburgh. The library itself was located in the heart of the South Side with the Jones and Laughlin steel mill and the United States Glass Company both nearby. Pittsburgh's South Side had a substantial immigration population during the early 20th century. This greatly affected the South Side Branch in that it had to acquire books in different languages such as Polish, German, Lithuanian, Italian, and Slovakian. The branch also had a large collection of technological and mechanical books since many of its patrons worked for the steel mill and other industrial companies. The South Side Branch went through many different phases as it experienced the effects of industrialization, immigration, depression, war, and economic decline. For instance, the branch saw a dramatic increase in its circulation when many were unemployed during the Great Depression only to have an extreme drop in circulation during the economic boom of World War II. Although the library has witnessed both the decline and revitalization of the South Side, it has retained a strong presence in the community for over one hundred years.
Conditions Governing Access
There are no access restrictions.
Conditions Governing Use
There are no use restrictions.
Custodial History
The materials were removed from the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, South Side Branch and transferred to the William R. Oliver Special Collections Room.
Accruals
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, South Side Branch sends new materials to the Oliver Room on an irregular schedule.
Preferred Citation
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, South Side Branch 4, William R. Oliver Special Collections, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh