Library Timeline

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1920: Reproductions of portraits, photographs and etchings totaling more than 20,000 items made available for borrowing            
- Journal, Mar. 10, 1920

1921: Library “Balopticon” (magic lantern slide projector) is available for loan to patrons         
- Herald, Nov. 3, 1921

1922: “Friend of Reading” advocacy group formed “to promote the interest in books and the wise use of them” throughout Syracuse and Onondaga County        
- Friends of Reading Minutes, Sept. 18, 1922

Friends of Reading Group

1922: Gold Star List of American Fiction, published annually by the Syracuse Public Library, earned national recognition
- 1922 Annual Report

1923: City population over 170,000; circulation over 500,000           
- 1923 Library Scrapbook

1924: 8 departments at Central Library; 3 branches, 1 “sub branch”, (North, South, Delaware and  West End Branch); 23 substations in city  
- Herald, July 18, 1924

1924: Book wagon service proposed throughout county      
- Herald, July 18, 1924 

1925: Delaware Branch relocated from its location in Delaware School to a home at 809 South Geddes St. and renamed the Ezekiel W. Mundy Branch February 10 
- 1925 Annual Report

Mundy Branch Exterior

1925: North Branch Library moves from its location in a South Alvord St. house to a new brick library building on Butternut St. and is renamed the Charles White Branch  
- Herald-American, Aug. 15, 1948

White Branch Children's Room
White Branch Children's Room - Image 2
White Branch Children's room [1953]
White Branch Adult Services Room
New Items at White Branch [1953]
White Branch Charge Desk
White Branch Exterior

1926: West End Branch moved to a leased house at 1721 W. Genesee St. and named the Frederick R. Hazard Branch 
- History of the Syracuse Public Library

1926: Eastwood annexed to Syracuse and the Eastwood Village Library became the Eastwood Sub-Branch of the Syracuse Public Library   
- 1926 Annual Report  

Eastwood Entrance
Eastwood Interior [Paine, 1954]

1927: Elmwood Branch Library opened at a home at 813 South Ave. under the direction of Miss May Burchill  
- Herald, May 4, 1927

1927: Valley Branch Library opened at a home at 4507 South Salina St. under the direction of Misses Lucille Hornden and Alice James      

1928: One library card now valid in at Central Library and all branches and substations       
- Journal, June 16, 1928

1928: Douglas E. Petit Branch Library opened November 20, 1928    
- 1928 Annual Report

Petit Entrance
Young Petit Patron [1948]
Petit Charge Desk [1940's]
Busy Day at Petit [1948]
More Patrons at Petit [1948]

1929: 1,132,998 books loaned, 222,680 visitors, 164,966 volumes in collection during 1929 
- Herald, July 20, 1930

Attentive Readers in the Carnegie Library
More Readers in the Young People's Room

1929: WSYR radio invites Paul Paine to present weekly talks on books and libraries  
- 1929 Annual Report

1929: Syracuse Public Library now includes eight branches (Eastwood, Elmwood, Hazard, Mundy, Valley and White), 16 city “public stations” and provides service to eight outlying locations: Borodino, East Syracuse, Jamesville, North Syracuse, Onondaga Hill, Split Rock and the Penitentiary
- 1929 Annual Report

1929: New Beauchamp Branch Library completed and dedicated in May        
- 1929 Annual Report

Beauchamp Children's Room
Story time at Beauchamp [1948]
Beauchamp Entrance [1948]
Reading along with a record at Beauchamp [1953]
Listening Hour at Beauchamp [1953]
Present Day Beauchamp Library