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West Haven's first subscription library was founded in 1792
by community leaders "wishing to subserve and advance
the interests of religion and learning, and being fully
persuaded that a choice collection of the best authors on
geography, history, the belle letters, divinity and other
branches ofscience may subserve those interests and being
confident that we ourselves, our children and unborn generations,
may receive much pleasure and literary improvement by  frequent
converse with such authors and be assisted in making progress
in divine knowledge, we think it our indispensable duty
to unite in purchasing such a collection and forming a library,
to be under the direction of those we shall appoint to the
Office of Librarian."
A
selection of books was purchased from West Haven bookseller
Isaac Beers.
For
more than a century the library moved to different sites
in West Haven. In 1906 the Village Improvement Association
was incorporated to beautify the city and to establish a
permanent home for the public library.
Andrew
Carnegie awarded a grant of $10,000.00 and the VIA raised
the balance of $1,510.50. Designed by McLean and Wright
of Boston, the library is located at the intersection of
Campbell Avenue and Elm Street, once known as Ward's Corner.
 The
lot was purchased with generous contributions from Henry
Ward and Henry Hungerford. This historic building, one of
eleven Carnegie libraries constructed in Connecticut (and
one of 1,337 built across America) opened to the public
on September 1, 1909 with 1,550 registered borrowers, 1,337
volumes and an annual book circulation of 19,734.
Three
remarkable women -- Caroline Lewis, Ora Mason and Concetta
Sacco -- administered the library through nine decades of
change and challenges.
In
1960, with an addition designed by Henry Schraub Kelly and
constructed by Jack Halprin, Inc., the library rededicated
itself to serve a growing city's information and recreational
needs.
We
entered a new century with over 30,000 registered borrowers,
holdings of more than 166,000 items and annual circulation
surpassing 267,000 items.
In
2002, Bradley Green (Director) and the staff settled into
a 5,000 square foot expansion and renovation designed by
Sapienza and Lessig and built by Consolidated Contractors,
Inc.
Democracy
can flourish only when a literate citizenry has free access
to information and ideas. As we prepare West Haven residents
for full participation in the global information society,
we strive to preserve the best of the past as we look toward
the future with curiosity and confidence.
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