History of Internet Access and Computerized Operations
1830’s: Editor of The Southern Statesman opened a “reading room.”
1880’s: “Book Entertainments” raised funds for a library.
1886: “Jackson Free Library Association” chartered by state of Tennessee. Fines for overdue books: 5 cents a day, and only one book at a time. Over 150 members paid dues and $125 spent on books. Located on Market Street.
1887: Other locations of library: above Harris’ and Ward’s Drug Store, and later on Liberty, over the Woman’s Exchange. It had over 300 volumes and nearly 100 periodicals, including daily papers. “People residing in the country who join the library are entitled to all the privileges of the library.” (West Tennessee Whig)
1899: Dr. Mark Matthews, minister of the Presbyterian Church, led the campaign before the city council and Mr. Andrew Carnegie for fund to build a public library. After a donation by Mr. Carnegie of $30,000, the city of Jackson pledged annual support of $3,000 and bought property for $4,000. The "Jackson Free Public Library " cost $25,288.42 to build and the cornerstone was laid on September 13,1901, with Governor Benton McMillin in attendance. Dr. Matthews was transferred to Seattle and was not present at the Open House.
1903, March 3: Open House of Jackson Free Public Library
City population was about 14,500. Total
county population: 36,333 in 1900.
1904, December: Jackson Daily Whig:
The city had "a beautiful and conveniently
arranged library...It is now supplied with
over 6,000 volumes which is increased each
year by the appropriation of $3,000 from the
city."
1905, February 6: Library trustee R. F.
Spragins recommended that “a law library be formed in connection with the
public library for the benefit of the local bar as well as the Supreme Court and
visiting attorneys (and a) fund of $300 a year to start …” (with other
revenue) Jackson Daily Sun
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1910, Miss Alice Drake began her 42 years as head librarian. When the library furnace blew up, Miss Drake reduced hours but kept the library open with a small kerosene stove during worst winter to date. Her motto: "Get the right book to the right person at the right time." Miss Drake and staff helped organize Lane College Library's book collections.
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Annual Report for 1931.
From the City of Jackson: $3,600.00
From Madison County Court: $400.00
Previous Balance: $3.77
Expenses: Total: $4,003.77
1940: The John Ingram (Confederate) Bivouac Room, maintained by the Musidora C. McCorry Chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy in the basement of the city library was closed and various uniforms, weapons, etc. used by Madison County soldiers transferred to the War Memorial Building in Nashville.
1948: Madison County Library established in basement of city library by Mrs. D. W. Bond, with 850 books and a budget of $3,200. Regional Library system began providing books to 33 bookmobile stations in the county.
“Although Jackson has increased four-fold in population since 1903, the library appropriation has had practically no increase in its budget, particularly in comparison with the services that it is called upon to render.”
The Jackson Sun, Nov. 27, 1948
1953: Reading program began.
1960, February 1: City and county libraries join resources for more efficiency and management. The two library boards combined and increased to the present seven members. County population was 60,655, operating budget $20,079, and circulation 69,455.
1966, April: Madison County Court and the Jackson City Commission appropriated money to build the Jackson-Madison County Library at 433 East Lafayette Street. A Federal grant of $83,000 helped pay for the $359,463 facility.
 1968,
September 15: Open house for Jackson-Madison County Library
designed by Mr. W. C. Harris, with 22,847 square feet for 100,000
books, plus magazines, newspapers, records, art prints, with a
meeting room, staff work areas and offices. It opened with 13,118
borrowers, six staff members, and 24,716 volumes with plans to add
another 30,000 during the following budget year. Donations for books
by friends of Dr. William R. Bell, the Rockwell Manufacturing
Company and others totaled over $12,800. |
1969, September: “Bemis Branch of the Jackson-Madison County Library” was established with a collection of 700 books.
Closed after July 1970.
1970: City of Jackson Planning Department recommended that a branch library be built in North Jackson at an estimated cost of $30,000, plus $5,000 for land.
1974, December: Mrs. Frances Tigrett and Isaac Burton Tigrett II donated land between the library and the Insurance Company of Georgia for additional parking.
1983, June 2: Circulation from present library recorded 3 millionth item. By August 2000, another 4 million items were checked out.
1992, February 11, 1992, Parkway Partners, Inc. donated 1.31 acres on West University Parkway for a branch library site in an n area of combined residential and commercial development. Efforts continue to acquire funding for building.
1995: Open house for addition that was completed in November 1994 on east side on property donated by Union Planters Bank.
1997: Former Insurance Company of Georgia building at 418 East College Street bought by the city and the county for library uses.
1998: Jackson City Council and Madison County Commission purchase adjoining property at 419 East Lafayette “for future use by the Library.” The building, being in unusable condition, was razed and the lot was prepared for parking for library patrons and others.
2002, July: Madison County Commission and the Jackson City Council approved $400,000 for an addition to east side of the Main Library for a “Program Center” with restrooms and more space for local history.
Worldwide Access at your Library
The public library of 1903 gave access to books and newspapers available only in the building. The explosion of information and technology by 2003 gives local citizens direct connections to libraries and databases around the world through the Internet.
In 1994, Dr. Don Lewis and Jackson State Community College provided a text-only computer and printer to the Reference Department at the public library. Capital outlay funds from the Jackson City Council and Madison County Commission provided for six Windows-based computers for direct connection to Internet for public use in 1998.
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation granted the library five computers and a printer in early 2000. Two were set up in the Children’s Library and allow younger patrons to view and to interact with programs relating to books, research, and other activities. Another computer is formatted in Spanish. Other computers allow word processing and other programs.
The library’s excellent and up-to-date home page (www.jmcl.tn.org) has thousands of links on hundreds of subjects for all ages. Library staff members maintain this outstanding web link.
Computerized Operations
The Library began computerizing its files of materials and patrons in the early 1990’s. Patrons began checking out items by computer in 1995. After several changes in the hardware and software programs, the new “YouSeeMore” program of The Library Corporation will give patrons access from their homes. Patrons are able to see more graphics, search and status of library holdings, links to the library’s more detailed home page, to news and weather, and so much more.
Over the past 100 years, the librarians and library directors have left their imprint on what the library is today and what it will be in the future. The following have served:
1903-1910 Miss Emma Pauline Collins
1910-1952 Miss Alice Drake
1952-1954 Mrs. Gretchen Conduitte
1954-1954 Mrs. Sara Messner
1955 Ms. Louise Bates
1955-1963 Miss Sarah Frances Smith
1963-1964 Mrs. Laverne Hodge
1964-1965 Mrs. Mary Jo Mulherin
1965-1972 Mrs. Anne Thurmond
1973 Mrs. Martha Castleman
1973-74 Mr. Hank Blasick
1974-75 Mrs. Martha Castleman
1975- 2006 Mr. Thomas L. Aud
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