File:Book Room in the Old Water Tank, Chicago, 1873.jpg

Summary

The first thing the new Library committee did was to secure an abandoned iron water supply reservoir as a temporary store room for the books from the English book donation for the recently burned city. The "Tank" stood on a thirty-five-foot high masonry base in the rear of the temporary city hall hastily erected at LaSalle and Adams streets, and locally known because of nesting birds as "The Rookery," which present-day citizens will recognize as the name of the stately office building now occupying that site. Circular in shape, with a diameter of sixty and a height of thirty feet, and having but recently demonstrated that it was superlatively fire-proof, the Tank was regarded as a happy find, and the gift books were stored in it, as they arrived, pending developments. On March 18th, 1872, an ordinance of the City Council established the Public Library under the new law, and on April 8th Mayor Medill appointed the the first Board of Directors. Failing more suitable quarters, the Directors proceeded to convert the Tank into a book room by lining its walls with shelves, having a capacity of 18,000 volumes, and cutting a skylight in the roof. A temporary new story was added to the City Hall connecting with the book room by a bridge, and here, on New Year's Day, 1873, a library reading room was opened to the public with 3,157 volumes upon the shelves. Circulation of books for home use was not begun until May, 1874, after removal to more commodious and accessible space at Wabash avenue and Madison street.

Licensing

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