Westport Library

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The Westport Library
The Westport Library Logo.png
CountryUnited States
Established1908 (1908)
Location20 Jesup Road, Westport, CT 06880
Access and use
Population served26,508
Other information
DirectorWilliam H. Harmer[1]
Staff90
WebsiteOfficial website
Map
Wikimedia | © OpenStreetMap
The front entrance of Westport library
The Westport Library as seen from the opposite side of the Saugatuck River in Westport, Connecticut

The Westport Library is a public library in the town of Westport, Connecticut, established on February 4, 1886, by members of the Westport Reading-Room and Library Association.[2]:132

Morris Ketchum Jesup, born in 1830 to a country doctor,[2]:73 amassed a fortune in the railroad business and became the benefactor of the library, donating the land and $5,000 for the building.[2]:157 In April 1908, the Westport Public Library was completed at a cost of $75,000[3] and dedicated to the custody of the Westport Library Association by Jesup's wife, following the wishes of her husband who died four months earlier.[2]:157

In June 1984, plans were announced to build a new library on a site adjacent to Jesup Green on the Saugatuck River.[2]:308 Considerable discussion took place about how to raise the money for the new library and the proposed site, a former landfill. After a referendum was approved, the new library was built for $4.6 million and opened on Labor Day of 1986.[2]

As popularity of the library increased, another renovation and expansion was completed in 1998.[2]:324 The improvements included an innovative project called the "River of Names," a wall of small handmade tiles, paid for individually by donors, depicting local history.[2]:324

By the year 2000, the library was the second busiest in the state in terms of circulation per capita, averaging 1,200 visitors a day.[2]:7

Embracing a trend in expanding the role of libraries, the library opened a makerspace in 2012, a structure with 3D printers and other tools for people to create inventions and learn about new technology.[4] The name of the library was changed to The Westport Library.[5]

In 2013, the library received a $246,545 grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services for the enhancement of the makerspace.[6] In 2014, the library became the first library in the nation to use humanoid robots for the purpose of teaching computer programming.[7]

On September 2017, ground was broken on a renovation project for the library, dubbed the "Transformation Project." The renovation lasted two years, and the library was reopened on June 23, 2019.[8]

As a "forum for civic engagement and an incubator of new ideas," the Library provides many books and resources geared to fundraising, social entrepreneurship, and non-profit organizations. An example of a book about social entrepreneurship is the memoir, "Start Something that Matters" by Blake Mycoskie, the founder of the global footwear giant, Toms Shoes.[9] The Library has the distinction of being a Funding Information Network partner of the Foundation Center, the nation's leading authority on organized philanthropy. A Grants Center section provides additional guides and manuals for becoming effective fundraisers for causes of all types and sizes.

Coordinates: 41°08′27″N 73°21′42″W / 41.1408°N 73.3616°W / 41.1408; -73.3616

References[]

  1. ^ "Our Team". The Westport Library.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i Klein, Woody (2001). The Story of a New England Town's Rise to Prominence. Greenwood Press. ISBN 0-313-31126-9.
  3. ^ "Bridgeport Telegram". April 9, 1908.
  4. ^ "Westport Library Unveils New MakerSpace". Library Journal.
  5. ^ "Library Drops 'Public' From its Name". westportnow.com.
  6. ^ "National Leadership Grant for Libraries". Institute of Museum and Library Services. Institute of Museum and Library Services.
  7. ^ Waldman, Loretta (September 29, 2014). "Coming Soon to the Library: Humanoid Robots". Dow Jones & Company. The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved September 29, 2014.
  8. ^ "Transformation Project". The Westport Library.
  9. ^ Mycoskie, Blake (2011). Start Something that Matters. Spiegal and Grau. ISBN 978-1-4000-6918-7.
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