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Running head: LIBRARY IN THE LONE STAR STATE

Library in the Lone Star State: The Rosenberg Library as a Model

for American Public Library History

Melissa Long

San Jose State University

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LIBRARY IN THE LONE STAR STATE

The libraries in coastal eastern towns are well-established and have rich historical

records. They are America’s founding libraries. The South, however, also had libraries with great

historical significance, such as one on Texas’ Gulf Coast. Galveston, a city just outside of

Houston, is a city of firsts. Among the large state of Texas, Galveston was the first to open a post

office, an opera house, a hospital, a golf course, and a public library (“History and Heritage,”

2015). This city’s port prominence gave it a cosmopolitan nature and made it more advanced

than one would expect of such a small city. It stands out as having the oldest continually-

operating public library in Texas, which despite many name and location changes, continues to

preserve the history of its unique city and one-of-a-kind state. The history of Galveston’s

libraries paralleled that of those in the East and were a pioneering example for other public

libraries in Texas.

Today, patrons can visit the Rosenberg Library, an Italian Renaissance style building

from 1904 that has since been added on to and now boasts a museum and research center.

Portions of the building remain true to its Victorian past, with wood-paneled reading rooms and

marble fireplaces. The library has embraced service to the modern era however, as the modern

spiral staircase and underwater-themed children’s area reveal. Yet while the building one can

visit today and its name come from the early 1900s, the Rosenberg Library’s story really began

in 1871.

The history of the Rosenberg Library ultimately follows the changing nature of libraries

in America. It started as a subscription library for wealthy merchants and with the goal of self-

improvement and education. It eventually became a social library and its services were available

to more people. Eventually it made the change to a public library and continued as such until a

Swiss philanthropist established the library that still stands to this day. Even this library changed

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with the nation, as it went from having a “colored” branch to truly being a public library for all to

use.

The Rosenberg Library’s story is one that inspired other libraries in Texas. The

Rosenberg Library created a unique service in the state, one that other Texas cities desired for

their own citizens. The libraries, especially Rosenberg Library’s first in its new building, were

models in what it meant to serve as treasurers of the past. Exploring the history of this

remarkable library opens up a greater perspective on libraries in the United States and their

ability to change with the times.

On September 13, 1870, the Galveston Chamber of Commerce deigned to create a library

for the use of the people.

The establishment of a Mercantile Library in Galveston will tend to the general

advantages of the citizens of the State, as well to the furtherance of the commercial

interests of our city … and contribute to the intellectual development and material

welfare of the community. (“The Chamber of Commerce,” 1870)

The community the Chamber meant were subscribers, who had to pay annual dues in

order to use the reading room. Along with the Galveston Mercantile Library, the Chamber also

created a Library Department, which would consist separately from the Chamber. The library

was headed by a committee of three, who were elected annually. The first three members were

J.S. Thrasher, James Sorley, and John Focke (“The Chamber of Commerce,” 1870).

Before the library even opened its doors, it was regarded with enthusiasm.

The library is already a favorite with us. The good it has already done, in awakening

discussion of our needs and duties, gives good promise for its future career of usefulness,

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and we bespeak for it the cordial and hearty support of all classes. (“The Mercantile

Library,” 1871)

The set-up of the Galveston Mercantile Library was akin to other libraries at the time.

Early libraries were subscription-based models and were viewed as safe places to socialize. Such

libraries were created for the betterment of society, or at least of those who could afford to

subscribe there. It was thought that by having a place to learn, read, attend lectures, and meet

friends, disturbances could be curtailed (Hansen, 2011a). These were not libraries truly meant to

serve the public, but promoted an agenda of what a proper citizen should do in their free time.

Mercantile libraries in particular were formed for the self-improvement of their subscribers.

Usually only men could subscribe but in Galveston’s case the charter seems to indicate that

anyone who could pay the subscription could use the library.

Certain rules were established by the committee for the running of the Galveston

Mercantile Library. Dues were ten dollars a year, but were available at half-price for Chamber

members. Also, if a subscriber donated one hundred dollars, they would be a member for life.

Subscribers could invite their friends to utilize the reading room, but would be barred from using

the library if their dues went unpaid for 12 months (Patten, 1918, p. 198).

Galveston Mercantile Library ran like a typical reading room, yet space was tight. Its first

location was on the second floor of a building on Post Office Street in historic Galveston. It was

called the old Hurlbut building, and no longer stands today. Various reading materials were

available, such as newspapers, periodicals, reference books, technical journals, and reviews.

Subscribers could request books ahead of time and they would be ready for them to peruse when

they arrived at the reading room. There was a source of pride to be felt in the establishment of

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Texas’ first public library and the creators remarked that, “no effort will be spared to make the

reading room attractive, and adequate to meet the wants of our city” (Patten, 1918, p. 199).

The library was also set up as a depository for state documents, providing the heritage of

historical preservation that the library continues today. Also created in 1871 was the Galveston

Library Building Association whose purpose was to secure a permanent building for the library,

which oddly enough would not happen until its current namesake provided an endowment

(Davis, 2002, p. 13).

The first librarian at Galveston Mercantile Library was Emily F. Carnes. Her starting

salary was $650 a year (Patten, 1918, p. 198). There was another woman slated to be the first

librarian but she turned down the offer. Mollie E. Moore, a singer famous in Texas, apparently

declined the offer of becoming the librarian due having an ill father and young brothers. The

announcement remarked, “We know of several offers more tempting to a young girl than that of

a librarian that Miss Mollie declined for the same reasons (“Miss Mollie E. Moore,” 1870). This

is an odd comment, especially since librarian jobs were viewed as beneficial for young,

unmarried women. Given Moore’s fame however, a job with such low pay was perhaps seen as

beneath her.

Funding for the library included a general fund of $250 a month for maintenance, staff,

materials, and other expenses. The library had two thousand volumes when it opened in January

of 1871 and many of these books were shipped in from New York. Newspaper records show that

an order was placed for books before the official opening and that they would arrive by

steamship from New York. In order to purchase this first installment of books, the Chamber

collected a one-time donation for materials (Patten, 1918, p. 198). After that point the

subscription fee would be significantly less. Inspiring the creation of the library was the belief

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that people desired to read books but could not afford enough to amass a personal library.

Therefore, by paying a small monthly fee, a larger number of people now had access to a much

larger collection of books than any could obtain on their own.

Libraries such as the one in Galveston would not be possible or even desired without the

belief that books held value; the widespread number of people who believed this allowed for

enough demand to create a library. Books at the time were a source of pride to own but they also

provided one of the few ways for people to learn on their own. Reading was always considered

important, but even if one could not read, simply owning a book symbolized elite status (Hansen,

2011c).

America’s earliest libraries were personal ones. The colonial elites amassed large

quantities of books, becoming the source of envy to their peers. Early libraries operated like

stock companies formed by several wealthy men pooling their books together. This is a

significant development for libraries in America, yet still excluded most people from having

access to information (Hansen, 2011a). Over the years, America’s libraries would experience a

series of changes that expanded service to a greater number of people, one that is reflected by the

Rosenberg Library’s history.

The Chamber was very serious about keeping the library free from any agenda.

Therefore, they limited book purchases exposing a specific religious creed. Also, clergy

members could not be librarians or on the library committee. Considering early libraries’ bent on

moralizing their patrons, the Galveston Chamber was making a forward-thinking decision

regarding bias. The early library also kept statistics on the number of books read per year, most

likely to justify the library’s continued operation.

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The first public library in Texas appeared to catch on quickly with Galvestonians and

boasted early success. Librarian Emily F. Carnes reported waiting on 75 people on May 4, 1871 -

only a few months after opening. The library proved so successful it became an object of great

interest to other cities in Texas. Carnes remarks that the city of Houston reached out to her for

help in starting a library of their own (Patten, 1918, p. 199). Americans viewed libraries as a

cosmopolitan luxury in the late 1800s, something cities in the West desired to emulate, in order

to distinguish their community as a literate and educated locale.

Up until the establishment of the Rosenberg Library in 1904, the first public library in

Texas would go through numerous changes, altering their name, library status, and location.

Despite all of these changes, the library remained a source of pride for the city of Galveston.

Other Texas cities who longed for libraries of their own came to envy Galveston. Galveston

Mercantile also served as a good model for modern understanding of libraries at this time.

Galveston Mercantile operated in much the same way as other libraries of its day, such as the

San Francisco Mercantile Library. Starting out, it took wealthy men to put up the money to get

libraries started. While they may not have been “public” in the modern understanding of the

world, these early subscription-based libraries allowed a greater number of people to access

information and connect with their fellow citizens.

Beginning in 1874, the library in Galveston experienced a series of changes. On

November 18, 1874, the Galveston Mercantile Library became the Galveston Free Library.

Subscriptions were no longer required to use the reading room and make use of other library

services. To make up for the lack of subscriptions, the city of Galveston funded three thousand

dollars a year for running the library. In addition to continuing Galveston Mercantile’s status as

the oldest public library in the state, Galveston Free Library also had a significant collection. In

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1876 they had ten thousand volumes, giving it the second largest collection of any library in

Texas (Davis, 2002, p. 15).

New rules were adopted to match the new style of library. Anyone over 12 could use the

library and take books home. Only one book was allowed to be checked out at a time and new

books could only be checked out for one week with no renewals. Fines were 15 cents a week.

Books could not be held in advance; it was first come, first serve (Patten, 1918, p. 199). To the

modern library patron, these rules seem restrictive and very different from how libraries are run

today. However, truly public libraries such as these were a fairly new venture at the time and it

took some time for librarians and city officials to change their mindset. The public as a whole

was not completely trusted, and like the founding fathers, these library professionals sought to

curb what they thought could be damaging to their institution.

Like the social libraries before them, America’s earliest public libraries set out with the

goal to encourage “moral” literature and dissuade from what was considered “trashy” fiction.

The language used to promote the Galveston Mercantile Library reflects this thought process.

Over time, however, libraries became more recreational and the goal of solely educating people

was moved, if slightly, to the background. Higher education rates, the rise of youth culture, and

the introduction of Victorian literature (which included respectable novels) propelled many of

these changes (Hansen, 2011d). By turning libraries from places where men could achieve self-

improvement to circulating libraries for everyone, the truly public library was born. Galveston

made this turn as well, allowing it to continue its pioneering history.

The Galveston Free Library only operated fully for four years before the city repealed its

public library status in 1878 and the collection moved to City Hall. Records do not indicate why

this change occurred (Patten, 1918, p. 202). Perhaps the costs escalated too quickly or

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maintaining a public library proved more difficult than they thought. In any case, one year later,

in 1879 the library opened to the public once more.

In 1881, Galveston Free Library became Galveston Public Library and was entrusted to

the Galveston Lyceum. The Galveston Lyceum’s involvement with the library dates back to

1845 when its charter included a provision for the establishment of a library, yet was not acted

upon until this point (Davis, 2002, p. 6). The library moved back to the Jack and Ballinger

building at this time. Over 11,000 materials were housed there. In order to have more space and

materials, Galveston Public made one more move to the second floor of the Masonic Temple. It

remained with that name and in that location until the dedication of the Rosenberg Library in

1904. The city of Galveston did resume control of the library in 1890 however (Rosenberg

Library Museum, 2014).

Despite having moved around numerous times, this library continued flourished. In 1889,

there were 2,470 members. Galveston’s population at this time was about 30,000 so nearly ten

percent of the population made use of the library (Texas Association of Counties, 2015).

However, around this time the library fell into disrepair. Library staff noted the furniture was “in

retched condition.” (Davis, 2002, p. 15). The library was more than ready therefore for a certain

philanthropist to firmly establish a library building for this city.

Henry Rosenberg is the namesake of the Rosenberg Library that stands in Galveston

today. Rosenberg was born in Bilten, Switzerland in 1824 and came to Galveston, Texas when

he was 19 years old. Rosenberg epitomizes the American dream in this coastal Texas city. He

moved to become a dry goods merchant and grew the business into one of the largest in Texas.

His successful business acuity led to his appointment as the director of the First National Bank in

Galveston and as Consul of Switzerland. Rosenberg also served as president of the Galveston

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City Railroad Company and the Gulf, Colorado, and Santa Fe Railway Company. Over the years

he opened his own banks, participated in many other city chambers and committees, and overall

grew to be Galveston’s most influential resident (Kenamore, 2010). His influence in the city and

in Texas as a whole led to recognition and prominence. There is even a town about an hour

northwest of Galveston named after the business man.

Rosenberg’s charity and philanthropy was on display even before his generous will was

revealed. He built a public elementary school on the island, directed the Galveston Orphans’

Home, and donated money to renovate an old church in his hometown in Switzerland. In this

way, Rosenberg was practically Texas’ Andrew Carnegie. Carnegie was also an immigrant and

worked his way up in several industries in true rags to riches fashion; he was a philanthropist as

well, donating money to a number of charitable causes (“Andrew Carnegie,” 2009). Rosenberg

and Carnegie’s similarities also extend to their mutual devotion to - and love of - libraries.

Rosenberg’s passion for the library came about while he was on the Library Committee

when the library was the Galveston Free Library (and later Galveston Public Library). He was

also one of the original subscribers of Galveston Mercantile and therefore was invested from the

beginning. Rosenberg loved the intellectual aid that the library provided and that it helped better

mankind. His background as a hard-working immigrant certainly contributed to this view and it

makes sense that this self-made man would cherish an institution that helped others reinvent and

better their own lives. Rosenberg married twice, but never had any children of his own. In his

will, therefore, he divided up his fortune into a variety of charitable donations. He contributed

money for the restoration of several churches, for a YMCA, an orphanage, a public school,

public drinking fountains, and several charities in Switzerland. The largest amount of his estate

by far, however, went to the creation and endowment of a free public library (Kenamore, 2010).

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Rosenberg died on May 12, 1893 at the age of 69. So beloved was this man that schools

let out for the day and flags were hung at half-staff. (Rosenberg Library Museum, 2014) In the

21st clause of his last will and testament, composed the year before, he included the provision

that $400,000 of his estate go to the establishment of a public library:

They shall organize and endow a free public library for the use of the people of

Galveston, together with free lectures upon practical, literary, and scientific subjects, and

such other incidents to a great public library as may be most conducive to the

improvement, instruction, and elevation of the citizens of Galveston; and for this purpose

they shall cause an association to be chartered with such trustees and directors as they

may deem expedient, under such rules and regulations as will best carry out this devise.

In making this bequest, I desire to express in practical form my affection for the city of

my adoption and for the people among whom I have lived for so many years, trusting that

it will aid their intellectual and moral development, and will be a source of pleasure and

profit to them and their children and their children’s children through many generations.

(Patten, 1918, p. 141)

Rosenberg, then, still maintained the culturally relevant view that libraries should exist

for the moral betterment of society. Yet he also realized that libraries should exist for everyone,

including children, and that they should also exist for pleasure and enjoyment. Gone are the days

where libraries were built to keep undesirable men off the streets. Libraries were now for

everyone and served a variety of purposes.

The Rosenberg Library was dedicated on June 22, 1904, in honor of Henry Rosenberg’s

birthday. The architecture firm Eames and Young of St. Louis, Missouri, designed the building.

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Rosenberg’s dream finally came to fruition. Marcellus E. Kleberg, a city attorney, extolled

Galveston’s new library during the building’s dedication. The pride in the city was palpable.

My friends, we stand upon hallowed ground – doubly hallowed as the temple of

literature, art, and science, and by an exalted altruism embracing within its sphere the

people of this city for all time. A good and noble deed never dies. It is of the essence

divine. And though beneath the sweep of centuries this stately building may crumble into

dust, the blessed charity of Henry Rosenberg will live on in the hearts of the children of

men. The last and greatest of the charities founded by Mr. Rosenberg stands completed, a

luminous monument to his benevolence and to his memory. His name will ever be kept in

grateful repute by the people of this city, and the sentiments which throb in our hearts to-

day will be transmitted from generation to generation. (Patten, 1918, p. 173)

The cost of the building itself was $155,000 and was 87 by 134 feet. After years of

moving around, Galveston’s local library now had a permanent home. The tradition that began in

1871 at the Galveston Mercantile Library continued with the Rosenberg Library, which absorbed

the 3,200 books still in the collection. Frank Patten, Rosenberg Library’s first librarian, mentions

in his chronology of the library’s history that Galveston Public Library had many more volumes

(about 7,000) but that they were “too much worn to be of further use” (Patten, 1918, p. 187).

Despite this, the collections still in Galveston Public Library created a strong foundation for the

Rosenberg Library, and the librarians added public documents and rare books to Rosenberg

Library’s archival collection.

The first board of directors included Major A. J. Walker as president, Colonel M. F. Mott

as vice president, Captain J. P. Alvey as treasurer, and I. Lovenberg as secretary. The layout of

the library was fairly simple. On the first floor of the new library, there was a lending desk, two

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reading rooms, a book room, and work rooms and offices for staff. On the second floor there was

a children’s area, a room that housed special collections, and a lecture hall (Patten, 1918, p. 188).

The lecture hall turned Rosenberg Library from a storehouse for books into a true center of

learning; it contributed a big city, cosmopolitan feel to this island library.

The Rosenberg Library inherited Galveston Mercantile Library’s status as an archival

depository and continued to collect artifacts from Texas’ history along with other special

collections. In 1900, Hurricane Isaac struck the island, devastating homes and businesses and

killing an estimated 18,000 people on the Gulf Coast (“History and Heritage,” 2015). To this day

it is the deadliest natural disaster in American history. The hurricane taught the residents of

Galveston that records needed to be preserved safely, in case another disaster destroy the record

of the past along with present structures.

The Rosenberg Library saw immediate success. On the first day 106 borrowers registered

for lending privileges and checked out 91 books (Patten, 1918, p. 193). The library grew and

expanded quickly. Just one year after opening, the library contained 7,000 volumes. In that same

year, the library underwent another change that was cropping up in other libraries throughout the

nation. In the southern United States it was especially rare to find an integrated public library.

Even when integrated, they often restricted usage by African Americans; for example many

African American patrons could only use the library once a week (Hansen, 2011a). Galveston

continued the pattern of segregation common in the South and opened a “colored” branch as an

annex to Central High School for the African American population in Galveston. This separate

library had 1,100 books and 21 different periodicals, a far cry from what Rosenberg Library was

offering to Galveston’s other residents. This was the first public library for African Americans in

the state of Texas (Rosenberg Library Museum, 2014).

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The decision to even have a library accessible to African Americans was the result of

Rosenberg Library’s first librarian, Frank Chauncy Patten. A forward-thinking and devoted man,

Patten gave the Rosenberg Library a strong foundation for the future and became an example for

future Galvestonian librarians to emulate.

Patten was born in Rochester, New York on June 15, 1855. Like the other influencers of

the Rosenberg Library, Patten had a strong work ethic and a diverse experience. He first visited

Texas in 1879, traveling mostly by foot from his family’s home in Wisconsin. He received a

teacher’s certificate there and taught for a while before attending Ripon College back in

Wisconsin (Melbourne, 2010). Patten worked there as a student library assistant, exposing him to

the field of library work.

Patten encountered America’s most influential librarian when he studied under Melville

Dewey at the Columbia College School of Library Economy. He was in Dewey’s first, and really

only, class at the college. From there, Patten went to Harvard. He worked as a librarian in

Albany, New York and Helena, Montana before supervising the completion of the Rosenberg

Library in Galveston and becoming its first librarian (Melbourne, 2010).

Frank Patten was the librarian at Rosenberg Library for 30 years. In that time, he

contributed immensely to the library’s heritage and demonstrated what it meant to be a dedicated

librarian. One of Patten’s greatest passions was continuing the library’s legacy of archives and

special collections. His goal was to set five percent of funds aside for special collections and

spent much of his time contacting people in the area in order to collect materials that would

preserve Galveston’s history. For example, he once wrote a letter to a local asking for a copy of

his recently published directory of Galveston (Rosenberg Library, 1894-1933).

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Patten pushed for the creation of the colored branch of the Rosenberg Library. He also

advocated for children’s services, hiring Emma Lee as the first children’s librarian. He

emphasized public lectures and a strong reference collection as well. One of Patten’s most telling

contributions was his care for his staff. From 1911 to 1913, Patten paid library assistants extra

money out of his own salary, which totaled $38,560 (Davis, 2002, p. 33-34). Patten was

generous and wanted his support staff to receive the money he clearly thought they deserved.

Patten demonstrated his devotion to Texas and Galveston history in his side work. In

1918 Patten published a biography titled Henry Rosenberg, 1824-1893. Patten clearly admired

the namesake of his workplace and chronicles the history of the library in his book. He states,

“The Rosenberg Library Board of Directors now deems it fitting to commemorate the public

gifts and bequests of Henry Rosenberg by means of this volume.” Like Henry Rosenberg, Patten

had a generous heart and a certain special devotion to the library. He was never married, and

upon his death in 1934 donated most of his estate to the Rosenberg Library Association, totaling

about $12,000 (Melbourne, 2010).

Frank Patten is exemplary of American public librarians at this time. Patten continues to

be revered to this day and his contributions to the Rosenberg Library are recalled with fondness.

His devotion to his job truly coincides with the view at the time that librarians were born and not

made. At this time in American history, a male public librarian in a fairly isolated part of the

country was rare. Male librarians were often directors of large university libraries and therefore

Rosenberg’s job as a librarian in Galveston may have been viewed as beneath him. Librarian

jobs in small cities, especially outside of the eastern United States were viewed as good jobs for

young, unmarried women. In fact, by 1920, eighty percent of library staff were women (Hansen,

2011b). Patten however, used his experience to further establish the library in Galveston as a

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center for Texas history. He does exhibit some of the traits common to male librarians at the time

however. He was from a working-class family rather than a wealthy one and his religious

background was Adventist instead of the more accepted Protestant. Yet he became the librarian

at Rosenberg Library in his fifties, not his late twenties like most male librarians were

(Melbourne, 2010).

Frank Patten may not have been a typical librarian for his time, but there is no doubt that

his significant contributions gave the Rosenberg Library a strong foundation for the future. The

Rosenberg Library would continue to grow and expand its service, starting a county library

system in the 1940s and undergoing a significant expansion in the 1970s (Rosenberg Library

Museum, 2014). To this day, the heritage of the library remains strong and makes up an

important part of Galveston’s cultural history. The city’s designation as having the oldest public

library in Texas preserves a literary society. This small city on the Gulf of Mexico influenced

other libraries in the state; the fact that large cities such as Houston and Dallas owe their

traditions to the library in Galveston is just one of history’s oddities.

One can actually view the history of public libraries in the United States through Texas’

first public library. The changes that the library went through, from its beginning as Galveston

Mercantile Library to its maturity as Rosenberg Library illustrates how the idea of what libraries

should be and who they should serve changed over the years. Looking at Galveston’s library

history shines a light on this phenomenon that is too often taken for granted in the United States

today.

Libraries were not always the free, public institutions modern definitions conjure up. In

fact, access to books was difficult during most of the world’s history. It is hard to imagine this

today, with websites such as Amazon providing books with the click of a button. Books were not

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always so easy to obtain, despite their importance in society. Libraries were created as a result of

this phenomenon. At first, libraries were simply the accumulation of several wealthy men’s

personal collections, so as to expand options at a relatively low cost. Eventually libraries became

more accessible; with the purchase of shares, any wealthy man could make use of the books,

even if he contributed none of his own.

The next phase of library development was one that Rosenberg Library experienced in its

first stage of operation. Libraries became subscription based and were often called mercantile

libraries due to their creation by local merchants, such as Galveston Mercantile was. At this

point, libraries no longer operated as joint stock ventures, but allowed use for anyone who paid a

yearly subscription fee. In Galveston’s case, the chamber of commerce opened the library and

allowed use for anyone who paid a $10 a year fee. Subscription models were at first used in

American libraries as a way to fund operations. Use therefore, was limited to people who could

actually afford to pay it. Despite how strange this seems compared to the modern idea of public

libraries, these subscription libraries nevertheless did open up access for a greater amount of

people. This model was viewed as a new and beneficial opportunity for the city, as it was stated,

“the liberality of the merchants of Galveston enables us to offer you the first public standard and

circulating library established in Texas” (Patten, 1918, p. 198). This was an exciting

development for Texas but did not keep them chained to old patterns. Changes in library theory

across the country reached the island city and changes to the library were made accordingly.

Just a few years later, the founders of Galveston Mercantile desired to turn the library

into a truly free public library. They consulted with librarians Justin Winsor and A. M. Palmer,

of Boston Public Library and New York Mercantile Library, to obtain information on how to

transition their library. Galveston Mercantile, therefore, did not act in isolation. The men who

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founded it were interested in library developments in the United States as a whole and this

interest kept them on the cutting edge. The committee for the new library mentions,

No city should be without a public library … Some access to this stream of knowledge is

needful to every community whose citizens share in the progress and culture of their age.

Libraries are the crown of every system of education. (Patten, 1918, p. 200)

Galveston Mercantile changed to Galveston Free Library. The change in this library

reflects that people now thought libraries should be for all people, not just wealthy men. The

democratic principles libraries now embrace can be traced back to this time when libraries were

seen as a common good. The view still remained that libraries should aid in moral character and

help people better themselves, but now at least more people had access to valuable information.

The idea that libraries also existed for pleasure came later. For many librarians, the books

they offered tried to replace the popular fiction they considered smut. The idea that people read

the right kind of books was an idea that limited libraries from achieving the democratic ideal.

Eventually, many in the profession realized that people should not be judged for their reading

preferences. Henry Rosenberg seemed to gleam that when he mentioned he wanted the library to

exist not only for people’s education but for their pleasure as well.

The library on the island of Galveston, Texas had an impact in the state of Texas and in

the nation as a whole. In a part of the country still considered the frontier at the time existed a

cosmopolitan library which drew inspiration from Boston, New York, and San Francisco. The

library was truly the pride of the city of Galveston and is still considered important for its service

to the community and its preservation of the past. The fact that this historical place can still be

visited and appreciated today speaks volumes about the value libraries had in preserving

American history. Without them, much of the past would be forgotten.

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The work done by the Galveston Chamber of Commerce back in 1871 continued on with

Henry Rosenberg’s generosity and Frank Patten’s dedication to the library. Without the

passionate people behind it, Rosenberg Library would not have become what it is today. The

history of Galveston libraries offers a microcosm of United States library history. And, although

Texas may not have the amount of library history as can be found in other parts of the United

States it is just as rich; and understanding that history enlightens and opens up public library

history in America.

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References

Andrew Carnegie. (2009). Retrieved from http://www.history.com/topics/andrew-carnegie

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History and heritage. (2015). Retrieved from http://www.galveston.com/history/

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Mercantile library. (1871, January 9). Galveston Tri-Weekly News, pp. 3.

Miss Mollie E. Moore. (1870, October 15). Dallas Herald, pp. 2.

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