Sunday April 29th, 2012 Brodie Resource Library: 100 Years and Counting

When was the last time you looked up and noticed the architecture of the Brodie Resource Library as you walked in its front door? Or, once inside, when did you last take a moment to enjoy the stained glass panels above the windows? As today marks the 100th anniversary of this branch of the Thunder Bay Public Library, we are wrapping up a month of events, programs, and displays that celebrate its rich history.

On April 29, 1912, the Brodie Resource Library opened its doors to the public as the Fort William Public Library. Prior to that date the Library was housed in several locations, beginning with the C.P.R employees’ library (attached to the bathhouse for the West Fort William roundhouse) in 1885. Several more moves (including a seven year stay in the basement of the Fort William town hall) landed the Library in a position to receive grant money from the Carnegie Foundation in 1908. That grant ($50,000 to be exact) allowed the city of Fort William to begin construction on a proper library and hire its first librarian, Miss Mary J.L Black. Miss Black remained in her position as the Fort William Public Librarian until her retirement in 1937 (though her memory remains in the Mary J.L Black Branch Library on Edward Street South).

The building’s original design incorporated many standard elements required of Carnegie sponsored libraries. Most notable of those include the parapet inscription above the main entrance and the interior columns on the main floor. While stained glass inserts were also a standard feature within Carnegie libraries, the panels installed in this building are unique in that they portray notable authors and literary figures. Renovations completed in 1956 and 1980, as well as further technological improvements, have brought the Library far beyond its original capacity.

The Brodie Resource Library has had a varied history since opening as the Fort William Public Library. The first travelling libraries were sent out to New Ontario from the Fort William Public Library in 1910. In 1912, the Library had very strict rules regarding behavior. For example, all gentlemen were required to remove their hats upon entering the building and all smoking was reserved to the downstairs smoking room. Fort William experienced the Spanish flu epidemic in 1918, during which rooms of the library were converted into an emergency hospital for overflow of patients. Miss Black was keenly interested in the artistic community of Northwestern Ontario, and began developing a collection of art that could be borrowed by patrons of the library. Many of the pictures still hanging on our walls have a date due card attached to the back. In 1940, the ground floor of the library was offered to billet men enlisted in the Lake Superior Regiment. The Thunder Bay Historical Museum resided in the library for almost 30 years before moving into a separate building nearby. The library also hosted an office of the National Film Board from 1947-1967.

A report from 1910 indicates the Fort William Public Library carried Fiction, Non-Fiction, and Reference materials for adults and children. The entire collection comprised nearly 63,000 items. The current Library collections are made up of physical and electronic materials with circulation statistics for 2011 almost reaching one million. As the Library continues to develop, think about stopping in to Brodie and wish it well on its anniversary.

Jesse Roberts