Jackson District Library

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Jackson District Library
Jackson District Library Logo.gif
Jackson District Library Jackson MI.JPG
The Jackson Carnegie Library, main library of the JDL
Location Jackson County, Michigan, United States
Type Library system
Established1978
Branches13
Other information
Website myjdl.com

The Jackson District Library is the public library system serving Jackson County, Michigan. Founded in 1978 from the merger of two local libraries, its history dates back to the formation of a library association in downtown Jackson in the 1860s.

Contents

The Jackson District Library provides services with 13 branches throughout Jackson County and a bookmobile. The main branch is the Jackson Carnegie Library in downtown Jackson.

History

The Jackson Public Library dates back to the mid-1860s, with the opening of a reading room at the Jackson Young Men's Association. The reading room was only open to association members, but proved popular. The reading room became a public library in the mid-1880s, with new funding from the City of Jackson. [1]

The Jackson Public Library applied for a grant to build a new Carnegie library in 1900. Its location in downtown Jackson's Bloomfield Building had become cramped, and Andrew Carnegie had recently expanded the pace of his program of library construction. An initial grant of $50,000 (equivalent to $1,462,560in 2023) was made in 1901. Zelie Emerson, a member of the library committee and a personal acquaintance of Carnegie's, convinced Carnegie to provide an additional $20,000 to overcome difficulties during construction. [1] The Jackson Carnegie Library opened in 1906, and continues in operation today.

In Jackson County, demand for library services increased in the early 1900s. Library service was supported by an innovative program of the Michigan State Library, the "traveling library," which sent books by U.S. mail to schools and private clubs in rural Michigan, including Jackson County. [2] The Jackson County Library was founded in 1929, as the second county library system in the state. [1] Books were made available at private businesses and schools throughout the county. [3]

A countywide vote in 1977 provided a dedicated source of property tax revenue for the city and county libraries, both of which faced issues with financials and duplication of services. With this funding secured, the Jackson Public Library and Jackson County Library merged, beginning service as the Jackson District Library in 1978. [1]

The library installed its first digital catalog in 1993, in cooperation with Jackson Community College. [4]

Locations

The JDL system includes 13 locations, many of which are adaptive reuses of existing and historic buildings. Examples of adaptive reuse in JDL branches include the Brooklyn Branch, in a former post office; [5] the Concord Branch, in the former Concord Opera House; [6] and the Parma Branch, in a former interurban station. [7]

Jackson District Library locations
LocationAddressFoundedPresent building openedWebsite
Brooklyn Branch207 N. Main St, Brooklyn 19181998, remodeled & expanded in 2021 [8]
Carnegie Library244 W. Michigan Av, Jackson 18651906 [9]
Concord Branch108 S. Main St, Concord 19032006 [10]
Eastern Branch3125 E. Michigan Av, Jackson19141987, remodeled in 2024 [11]
Grass Lake Branch130 W. Michigan Av, Grass Lake 19351977 [12]
Hanover Branch118 W. Main St, Hanover 19271976 [13]
Henrietta Branch11744 Bunkerhill Rd, Henrietta Township 19822000 [14]
Meijer Branch2699 Airport Rd, Jackson19281983 [15]
Napoleon Branch6755 Brooklyn Rd, Napoleon 19301962 [16]
Parma Branch102 Church St, Parma 19221937 [17]
Spring Arbor Branch122 Star Rd, Spring Arbor 19652023 [18]
Springport Branch116 Mechanic St, Springport 19011981 [19]
Summit Branch104 W. Bird St, Summit Township 19391956 [20]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Smith, Leanne (February 4, 2015). "Peek Through Time: Young men's reading room leads to 150-year history of Jackson library". MLive. Retrieved October 27, 2023.
  2. ↑ Murphy, Janice (August 1, 2003). "The State Library Soars Through the '20's to Land Abruptly in the 30's". Library of Michigan. Retrieved October 27, 2023.
  3. ↑ "County Libraries". Michigan Library Bulletin. 20 (10). Lansing: Michigan State Library: 289–290. December 1929.
  4. ↑ "History of the Jackson District Library". Jackson District Library. Retrieved October 27, 2023.
  5. ↑ Hepker, S. (1997, July 29). Clark lake library to close, napoleon saved by 3-3 vote. Jackson Citizen Patriot, 1.
  6. ↑ Wyatt, Ken (September 25, 2010). "Peek through time: Concord Opera House has served many uses for more than 100 years". MLive. Retrieved October 27, 2023.
  7. ↑ Bleiler, Jeff (October 19, 2008). "Round 2 on tap for library millage". MLive. Retrieved April 29, 2024.
  8. ↑ "Brooklyn Branch | Brooklyn, MI". Jackson District Library. Retrieved October 27, 2023.
  9. ↑ "Carnegie Library | Jackson, Michigan". Jackson District Library. Retrieved October 27, 2023.
  10. ↑ "Concord Branch | Concord, Michigan". Jackson District Library. Retrieved October 27, 2023.
  11. ↑ "Eastern Branch | Jackson, Michigan". Jackson District Library. Retrieved October 27, 2023.
  12. ↑ "Grass Lake Branch". Jackson District Library. Retrieved October 27, 2023.
  13. ↑ "Hanover Branch | Hanover, MI". Jackson District Library. Retrieved October 27, 2023.
  14. ↑ "Henrietta Branch | Pleasant Lake, MI". Jackson District Library. Retrieved October 27, 2023.
  15. ↑ "Meijer Branch | Jackson, Michigan". Jackson District Library. Retrieved October 27, 2023.
  16. ↑ "Napoleon Branch | Napoleon, Michigan". Jackson District Library. Retrieved October 27, 2023.
  17. ↑ "Parma Branch | Parma, Michigan". Jackson District Library. Retrieved October 27, 2023.
  18. ↑ "Spring Arbor Branch | Spring Arbor, MI". Jackson District Library. Retrieved October 27, 2023.
  19. ↑ "Springport Branch | Springport, MI". Jackson District Library. Retrieved October 27, 2023.
  20. ↑ "Summit Branch | Jackson, MI". Jackson District Library. Retrieved October 27, 2023.


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