Turning Back the Pages: 100 Years at the Saskatoon Public LibrarySaskatoon Public Library’s history is suffused with drama. Floods, fires, boardroom battles, clashes with City Hall, strikes,bold art robberies, outraged and belligerent patrons, pilfering and mutilation of materials, stalkers and flashers, animals at large on the premises, theft of computer equipment, and a covered-up dispute that sent its chief librarian fleeing into obscurity – all appear in these pages. Set these stormy incidents against a historical matrix of two world wars, a major Depression, world-wide epidemics, and a revolution in technology, and the colourful pageantry of the Saskatoon Library history emerges.But mostly the Library quietly hummed along – efficient, orderly and welcoming. It has been a symbol of public service, a haven for troubled souls, an escape for the bored, as well as a treasure house for information seekers. As an institution, the SPL has had a remarkably progressive history of service and compassion – even missionary zeal – reaching out to the disabled, the illiterate, the poor, “New Canadians” and Aboriginal folk. |
Contents
In the Beginning PreLibrary Days | 1 |
Building a Library The David MP Murray Era 19131932 | 5 |
Maximizing Resources in Tough Times The Angus Mowat Era 19321937 | 17 |
Wartime and Postwar Era James Stuart Wood 19381961 | 31 |
Prosperity Caring and Social Change Frances Morrison Era 19611980 | 53 |
Challenging Times Sandra Anderson Era 19891995 | 97 |
Into the Millenium Zenon Zuzak Era 1995 to Date | 113 |
Branching Out Library Branches Reach Out | 139 |
Appendices | 171 |
Common terms and phrases
Aboriginal Alice Turner Angus Mowat Anne Szumigalski Archives automation basement became began booktrailer borrowing branch head Branch Library building Canada Canadian Library Canadian Library Association Candace Savage card catalogue Centre CFQC chief librarian Children’s Department circulation City Councillor city’s Cliff Wright committee Council database desk Don Kerr downtown library F&PA Farley film Frances Morrison Library Frank Shannon funding gallery Henderson hired Information Services Internet J. S. Wood Jim Drake later Library Board library school library system library workers Library’s literacy loaned Lois Simmie Main Library Mary Donaldson Mayfair Mayor Muriel Clancy Murray newspaper Ontario opened patrons provincial Rusty Macdonald Ruth Millar Saskatoon Public Library shelves space SPL staff SPL-Community Relations SPL-LHR staff photo SPL’s staff photo collection story Technical Services teens took Toronto University of Saskatchewan videos women Wood Branch Wood’s Writer in Residence Yann Martel Zenon Zuzak