The Public Library was on Elm St,just up from Main St.Got my Library card here and would stop in on the way home from St. Paul's School on High St.

How well I remember the library. I was not even old enough to sign my name when I started to go there and remained a faithful member until I left Worcester. This site brings back many, many memories. Thank you.

On December 23, 1859, an ordinance was passed establishing a Free Public Library in Worcester. This library started with 11,500 volumes of which 7,000 were donated by the Dr. John Green. The remaining 4,500 were given by the Lyceum and Library Association as a nucleus of a circulating department. The library was opened to the public at Worcester Bank Block, Foster Street on April 30 of the following year. By 1895, the library had 100,000 volumes on its shelves. This library was the first one of any size in New England to open its doors on Sundays.

My first job was as a page at the old library in the 60's. Until the new one was built; I loved combing the stacks for rare books, and when things weren't busy reading Worcester newspapers from the 1800's and before. I worked at the new library too; but it was not nearly as magical as Elm St.

The picture of the Library on Elm street brought back some memories for me. I was a clerk Typist there and processing the new books that came through the catalog division. I worked there from 1958 to 1960 when I got married. I now live in Pasadena, Tx.

Just like Jack Kenny, although I don't know him, I would stop in on the way home from St. Paul's School, ca. 1962-63.

http://tacoma.wpi.edu/projects/library/library_history.htm WORCESTER PUBLIC LIBRARY A brief history and building data for the existing main library in Worcester, MA The break ground for the founding of Worcester Public Library (WPL) was made possible on December 23, 1895, when Dr. John Green donated 7000 books from his private collection to Worcester to begin a new library. The first public library began its services on April 1860, and one year latter it moved to a new building on Elm Street. Thirty years later the facility was expanded appreciably with the addition of an adjacent building. During the years 1914-1945 several library branches opened in the city of Worcester , but still a new library main library building was needed. many proposals were made for a new main library building but they failed for non agreement on site selection. In 1953, Board of Directions formally requested space for a new main library building in Salem Square. In 1959, the 100th anniversary of Worcester Public Library, City Council voted for the new library site to be the Salem Square in Worcester. A model of the new building was presented in 1961 and one year later, in 1962, the erection of the building began.

the Lyceum collection actually was the 5,000 volumes from Dr. Green's collection which he had given to the Lyceum in 1855 on a five year loan. When they were due to be returned Dr. Green offered an additional 7,000 volumes from his collection if the City would build a library to house them. The city did agreed and in his will he left the remainder of his collection to the library and $30,000 endowment to support the Library. The Dr.John Green fund still exists today .