Today's blog post is all about a popular but relatively short-lived branch in the history of Worcester Public Library: The Main South Branch. This storefront branch had multiple addresses over the years before succumbing to the Proposition 2 1/2 budget cuts in 1990.
The Birth of the Main South Branch
In June 1945, the Worcester Telegram first reported on the upcoming opening of the new Main South Branch. This branch, located in a leased storefront at 992A Main Street that was formerly a laundry, was scheduled to open in September with Miss Margaret C. Crimmins at the helm and Mrs. Hazel S. Robbins as her assistant. Both had previously worked at the Main Library in different departments and Miss Crimmins had also worked as a bookmobile librarian. Head Librarian Thurston Taylor described the branch space in the June 23, 1945 issue of the Worcester Evening Gazette as, "eight feet wide and 32 feet long, really a vest-pocket library, but at least a beginning." Mrs. John C. Mahoney, the chairwoman of the library extension committee of the library board, believed the new branch was necessary to accommodate the needs of the students from the local schools as well as the men who were returning from the war.
 |
| New Library Branch Site, Worcester Evening Gazette, June 23, 1945 |
 |
| Appointed Librarian, Worcester Telegram, June 23, 1945 |
The new branch officially opened on September 4, 1945 and while the branch would have plentiful books for high school students and adults, it would initially lack a children's section due to space limitations. Instead, younger school children would have to rely on their school's book collections. By late 1946, the Main South Branch doubled in size after it expanded into the former cobbler's shop next door, but still did not have a children's section.
 |
| Library Branch Opened, Worcester Evening Gazette, September 4, 1945 |
On the Move
Of course, a public library branch without a proper children's collection is unacceptable but the library made do for a couple of years. In 1950, there had been some talks of potentially moving the library to the old Coes House at 1058 Main Street as part of a Coes Community Center, or perhaps to a property owned by the St. Mark's Church at Main and Freeland Streets. Ultimately, nothing happened on the new branch space front until 1953.In April 1953, the library board asked City Manager Francis J. McGrath for funds to set up a new Main South Branch at a proposed 2,100 square foot storefront (formerly a grocery store) located at 984A Main Street. The size of that space would be more than triple the size of the original Main South Branch and most importantly, it would be large enough to accommodate a children's section. The library board indicated it would need more staffing, equipment, and furniture to set up the branch. McGrath agreed to the proposal to move the library and sent it over to the City Council to approve.
The new Main South Branch opened on September 28, 1953 with Miss Crimmins still head of the branch and with Miss Catherine C. Brosnahan, formerly of the South Worcester Branch, as the new children's librarian. She would be responsible for serving the needs of the over 4,000 children in the area. The new branch was freshly stocked with 2,500 children's books, which thrilled the young patrons who visited the library on its first day. The library also made use of its storefront window space by adding thematic book displays. For instance, Miss Brosnahan partnered with the Worcester Natural History Museum to create a book display on animals in 1954.
Remember that old Coes House property that we mentioned earlier? In 1961, there was additional discussion of using a land bequest from Miss Mary Maynard Coes to potentially build a new branch at 1058 Main Street, which would potentially replace both the Main South and South Worcester branches. However, this proposal never came to fruition. Instead the library continued to exist at 984A Main Street, where children and adults alike enjoyed books (including books in Spanish) and programs, such as regular film screenings (Citizen Kane, The Quiet Man, Man of Aran, and more!), craft programs, story hours, puppet shows, and a five-week series of programs for older adults in 1977. By 1979, the Main South Branch was the second busiest library branch in Worcester based on circulation numbers.
 |
| Attend Opening of Branch Library, Worcester Evening Gazette, September 28, 1953 |
.png) |
| Among Many Visitors, Worcester Telegram, September 29, 1953 |
Then in April 1979, the owners of the building, the Thomas A. Hickey Trust, put the building up for sale. At that time, the attorney for the Hickey family indicated that the library was protected by the terms of its lease and therefore would not have to move immediately.
Thus ended the presence of a library branch in the Main South neighborhood until the One City, One Library initiative opened the Goddard Branch at the Goddard School of Science and Technology in 2014.
 |
| Main South Branch at 984A Main Street, Circa 1970s |
The Main South Branch Closes (For the First Time)
In April 1981, the Thomas A. Hickey Trust served an eviction notice to the library to vacate before a deadline of May 1 because a potential buyer for the building had signed the purchase agreement. Christine Kardokas, head of branch and extension services for the library, scrambled to find a suitable replacement location for the branch. Even though the library secured an extension for the deadline to vacate until June 15, the library board of directors voted on May 12, 1981 to close the Main South Branch on May 23, 1981. The Branch staff would continue to work at the branch to prepare and move the materials, with the library storing most of the branch materials and the rest being redistributed. The staff would then be reassigned to different branches. Ms. Kardokas also requested that the bookmobile serve the Main South neighborhood two days a week to partially fill the gap in service left by the branch closure. The bookmobile would be located across the street in the parking lot of St. Mark's Episcopal Church starting June 15. In the meantime, the South Worcester branch on Southbridge Street temporarily benefited from the Main South Branch's closure: it would be able to remain fully open in the face of Proposition 2 1/2 budget cuts while the bookmobile served the Main South area.
As James Dempsey of the Worcester Evening Gazette wrote on June 8, 1981, "Today Main South area lost a little bit of its personality as city workers packed books into boxes at the Main South Branch Library."
 |
| Main South Library Branch Packs Up, Worcester Evening Gazette, June 8, 1981 |
Bureaucratic Nightmare or A Series of Unfortunate Events
Over 800 members of the community, especially those related to the Freeland Street School advisory council and who were parents of children attending the school, signed petitions and penned letters demanding a new Main South Branch.
 |
| Petition, Circa January 1983 |
Finally, the local newspapers reported in May 1983 that the City Council had approved of opening a new Main South Branch at 998 Main Street, previously occupied by Lincoln Pharmacy. In June 1983, City Manager McGrath recommended that the City Council appropriate $49,700 from the city's upcoming year budget for the new branch's operating expenses. In September of the same year, the Worcester Evening Gazette reported that head librarian Joseph S. Hopkins had announced that the library was in the process of signing a 10-year lease for the property located at 998-1000 Main Street but that there could be "considerable delay in opening the branch because of new state requirements..." relating to the selection of an architect to redesign the interior of the space. The library board signed the lease for the property in February 1984, with Joseph S. Hopkins indicating that the library could open in May or June.
It turns out that Hopkins was incredibly optimistic because there was one setback after another on the road to opening this branch. City building inspectors had initially found a couple of issues with the building prior to the signing of the lease and the owners of the building had agreed to fix them. However, in March 1984 the architect working on the redesign discovered additional serious problems with the building, including an electrical system in poor condition, a lack of fire and vandal alarms, and structural issues that would "make the building unfit to house a library" (Worcester Telegram, September 29, 1984). In fact, the floor would not be strong enough to support the weight of shelves full of library books. Unsurprisingly, the library, City Council, and City Manager were irate and frustrated over this development and the subsequent delays. By now, the city began to withhold rent for the building that they could not use.
In April 1985, the City Council asked the library to consider opening a new temporary branch at a different location until the work at the new building was complete. A library review team recommended using the Main South Neighborhood Center as the interim location for library service. The neighborhood center would be "an enriched senior stop," where the bookmobile and a van would bring materials to the site, where patrons could register for library cards and check out books. They would also do occasional events including a summer reading club. Worcester Public Library and the Main South Neighborhood Center co-sponsored a children's puppet show program at the St. Mark's Episcopal Church in August 1985.
By September 1985, it seemed that progress was being made: the City Council agreed to an amended lease with the Glass Realty Trust for the new Main South Branch building. The most recent renovation estimates for the project would cost over $200,000, and the lease meant that the city would be on the hook for the majority of that cost. However, if the city had backed out of the current lease, it could have faced breach of contract. City Councilor Jordan Levy expressed displeasure over the amended lease and the mistakes made throughout this debacle, stating, "We could have put up our own building for less than it will cost us to renovate a building we will not even own" (Worcester Telegram, September 24, 1985).
But wait, there's more! In December 1985, workers discovered that the roof of the building leaked! The renovations progressed but by March 1986, work on the Main South Branch building ground to a halt over a disagreement between the city and the Glass Realty Trust over who should pay for repairs for the installation of a firewall, electrical work, and strengthening the roof to support HVAC systems. However, it seems that all of these issues had been resolved by late-April 1986 and it was quite possible that the branch would be able to open by mid-June.
Reopening of the Main South Branch (Finally)
After many delays, the Main South Branch finally reopened on July 21, 1986, with a sign on the window proclaiming, "OPEN AT LAST!" and an official opening ceremony on November 2, 1986. The branch would be led by Robert Caldwell, Branch Librarian, and Iris Cotto, Children's Librarian. In addition, the Worcester Talking Book Library, which previously had a space in the Quinsigamond Branch, would now occupy a separate room in the Main South Branch.
Life at the Main South Branch continued for the next couple of years, with books, programs, and other activities for all ages. Below are selection of photos of life at the Main South Branch from the late 1980s.
 |
| "Main South's Wait for Library Reaches Its Final Chapter," Worcester Telegram, July 16, 1986 |
 |
| Circa August 1986 |
 | ||
Invitation for Grand Opening of the Main South Branch, November 2, 1986
|
 |
| Halloween 1987 |
 |
| Main South Patrons with the McDonald's Mac Tonight Character, Circa 1988 |
The End of the Main South Branch
It's a tale we've told before: Proposition 2 1/2 budget cuts doomed the Main South Branch in 1990 and all library branches closed in May 1990. The Main South Branch's collection would need to be moved out of the building by June 30, 1990, when the lease was set to expire. The library gave more than 10,000 books from the Main South Branch's children's collection to the newly opened Jacob Hiatt Magnet School. The Talking Book Library moved its services to the Main Library, where it still exists today, but storage space limitations at the Main Library meant that the Talking Book Library had to send back some of the talking books on tape back to the Library of Congress.
 |
| Branch Libraries Near Last Page, Worcester Telegram & Gazette, May 9, 1990 |
Sources:
"After 2 Years, Main South to Go by the Book." (1983, May 27). Worcester Telegram, p. 3.
"Ask Enlarged Library for Main South." (1953, April 22). Worcester Telegram, p. 1.
"Among Many Visitors." (1953, September 29). Worcester Telegram, p. 9.
Bliss, R.R. (1986, March 12). "Library Branch Reopening Stalled." Worcester Evening Gazette, p. 1.
Bliss, R.R. (1985, April 11). "Main South Library Branch Is Still Not Open." Worcester Evening Gazette, p. 3.
Bliss, R.R. (1984, September 11). "New Main South Branch of Library 'May Never Open.'" Worcester Evening Gazette, p. 5.
"Books About Animals on Display." (1954, August 22). Worcester Sunday Telegram, p. C9.
"Branch Library in Main South May Open in June." (1986, April 23). Worcester Telegram, p.3.
"Branch Library in Main South Area Open Today." (1945, September 4). Worcester Telegram, p. 3.
"Branch Library May Return to Main South Area of City." (1983, September 14). Worcester Evening Gazette, p. 7.
"Branch Library Site is Still Sought." (1981, May 25). Worcester Telegram, p. 28.
"Choice for Main South Library." (1950, May 31). Worcester Evening Gazette, p. 4.
"City Council Gives Go-Ahead to Library for Main South Branch." (1983, May 27). Worcester Evening Gazette, p. 20.
Collier, G.A. (1990, May 9). "Branch Libraries Near Last Page." Worcester Telegram & Gazette, p. A3.
Cowan, M.A. (1961, April 7). "Worcester's Oldest and Youngest Branch Libraries." Worcester Telegram, p. 6.
Dempsey, J. (1981, June 8). "Main South Library Branch Packs Up." Worcester Evening Gazette, p. 12.
Doolan, R. (1990, May 9). "City Library Makes Do with Less." Worcester Telegram & Gazette, p. A2.
Duckett, R. (1990, May 2). "Library Outlook Worsens." Worcester Telegram & Gazette, p. A3.
Duckett, R. (1986, November 3). "New Main South Library is Shown Off in Opening." Worcester Telegram & Gazette, p. 12.
Eames, R.B. (1984, February 15). "Library Directors Sign Lease for New Main South Branch." Worcester Telegram, p. 8A.
Frain, M. (1990, October 14)."Book Lovers Lament Shelving of Libraries." Worcester Telegram & Gazette, p. B3.
Hammel, L. (1981, April 15). "Library Branch Must Vacate Site." Worcester Telegram, p. 3.
Hammel, L. (1981, May 13). "Main South Library to Close May 23." Worcester Telegram, p. 13.
"Interim Library Use Recommended." (1985, May 9). Worcester Telegram, p. 4.
Kotsopoulos, N. (1985, September 24). "Council Finds Way to Open Main South Library." Worcester Telegram, p. 1.
Kotsopoulos, N. (1984, September 29). "Main South Library Site Under Repair." Worcester Telegram, p.3.
"Library to Weigh Branch Costs." (1985, June 29). Worcester Telegram, p. 6.
"Library Branch on Main South Given Extension." (1981, May 2). Worcester Telegram, p. 19.
"Library Branch Opened." (1945, September 4). Worcester Evening Gazette, p. 20.
"Library Scouting Main-South for Site of Branch Library." (1985, April 28). Worcester Telegram, p. 30A.
"Library's Proposed Branch Building Has Leaking Roof." (1985, December 12). Worcester Evening Gazette, p. 8.
"Library's South Branch Home is For Sale." (1979, April 7). Worcester Evening Gazette, p. 7.
"New Library Branch Open." (1953, September 28). Worcester Evening Gazette, p. 19.
"New Library Branch Site." (1945, June 23). Worcester Evening Gazette, p. 2.
"New Library Funds Sought." (1983, June 4). Worcester Telegram, p. 3.
Pinder, J. (1981, September 15). "Library Budget Cuts to Hit Books, Hours." Worcester Telegram, p. 5.
"Puppet Magic." (1985, August 22). The Evening Gazette and Worcester Telegram, August 22-23, 1985 Time Out, p. 12.
Rayner, E.H. (1953, September 29). "Library Branch Pleases Main South Children." Worcester Telegram, p. 9.
"Relocation of Library Branch Urged." (1953, June 19). Worcester Telegram, p. 25.
"Seeks More Funds for School Safety." (1953, June 2). Worcester Evening Gazette, p. 26.
Taylor, G. (1986, July 22). "A Short Sign Can Speak Volumes." Worcester Telegram, p. 2.
Taylor, G. (1986, July 16). "Main South's Wait for Library Reaches Its Final Chapter." Worcester Telegram, p. 3.
"Weekly Library Programs to Start for the Elderly." (1977, July 3). Worcester Telegram, p. 6.
"Worcester Eyes Use of Land Bequest." (1961, March 15). Worcester Evening Gazette, p. 21.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.