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Detroit Public Library history
Detroit Public Library company history timeline
The Detroit Public Library opened for service on March 25, 1865.
The library system in Detroit dates back to 1865, although the Main Library was not built until several decades later.
In 1872, the Centre Park Library opened across the street from the current location of the Skillman Branch in downtown Detroit at Gratiot and Library Street.
In 1877, a new library opened in Centre Park on the site of the present Skillman Branch.
In 1900, branches were opened inside Central High School (now Old Main at Wayne State University), Harris School on the east side, and Western High School.
In 1910, Andrew Carnegie, who was a library philanthropist, donated money to the city of Detroit for their library system and it was with this money that Detroit decided to build a main library on a piece of property on Woodward Avenue, near Kirby Street.
But it was not until 1910 when Andrew Carnegie, the great American library philanthropist of the early 20th century, donated funds did Detroiters decide to build a larger central library to supplement Centre Park.
The city commissioned Cass Gilbert in 1912 to construct a three-floor library in the early Italian Renaissance Style.
Due to delays and World War I, the Main Library did not open until March 21, 1921.
In 1937, the Detroit Public Library hired its first African-American librarian, Marjorie A. Blakistone; Blackistone worked throughout her career to expand the library's African-American literature collection.
The library system's bookmobile service began in 1940.
In 1970 Clara Stanton Jones became the first African American and the first woman to serve as director of a major library system in America, as director of the Detroit Public Library.
Computers first appeared at the Chandler Park Branch in 1989, and they have since become a crucial service offered at each of the system's 23 branches.
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Detroit Public Library competitors
| Company name | Founded date | Revenue | Employee size | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston Public Library | 1848 | $46.2M | 310 | - |
| Cass County Public Library | 1947 | $33.0M | 125 | - |
| Sri Lanka Army | 1949 | $510.0M | 10,001 | - |
| ATLAS Ministry | 2006 | $680,000 | 7 | - |
| City of North Little Rock | 1904 | - | 330 | 12 |
| Workforce One | - | $21.0M | 350 | - |
| City of Peachtree Corners | 2012 | $1.6M | 30 | - |
| City of Hope Arkansas | 1852 | $710,000 | 7 | - |
| City of Central | - | $470,000 | 9 | - |
| Brockton Housing Authority | - | $3.1M | 66 | - |
Zippia gives an in-depth look into the details of Detroit Public Library, including salaries, political affiliations, employee data, and more, in order to inform job seekers about Detroit Public Library. The employee data is based on information from people who have self-reported their past or current employments at Detroit Public Library. The data on this page is also based on data sources collected from public and open data sources on the Internet and other locations, as well as proprietary data we licensed from other companies. Sources of data may include, but are not limited to, the BLS, company filings, estimates based on those filings, H1B filings, and other public and private datasets. While we have made attempts to ensure that the information displayed are correct, Zippia is not responsible for any errors or omissions or for the results obtained from the use of this information. None of the information on this page has been provided or approved by Detroit Public Library. The data presented on this page does not represent the view of Detroit Public Library and its employees or that of Zippia.
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