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Issue (Archive)
The idea was revived in 1879 as a means of replacing the many private libraries lost in the fire. Books and contributions and a $5 provision by the City embodied the Act passed by the NB Legislature in 1883 to establish a “Free Public Library in the City of Saint John”. It opened with a collection of 2285 books. Today the collection holds over 215,000 books, audio cassettes, videos, CD’s and DVD’s. In 1904, the library was relocated in a magnificent new building constructed with a grant from Andrew Carnegie, the only Carnegie library in the Maritimes. The library operated in this building for 79 years, before moving to new and expanded quarters in Market Square in 1983, there are also two satellite branches located in the western and eastern sections of the City.
The Saint John Free Public Library in Market Square has much to offer visitors to Saint John. Two computers on the first floor of the Library provide E-Mail access for fifteen minutes and two computers provide access to Microsoft programs (Word, Excel, Publisher and Power Point) for up to one hour. All computers are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Your library card is required to use a computer. Children may use two computers with Internet access located in the Children’s Department. Six computers, available for half hour periods, also connect to MSN/CHAT. All computers, except the two on the first floor dedicated to E-mail access, are connected to printers, with B&W print-outs available at 20¢ per page. To reserve a computer or for more information, phone 643-7224. Also available are photocopiers and public telephones. All areas of the Central Library are wheelchair accessible.
In our comfortable lounge - Henry Meinhardt Memorial Reading Room - visitors will find current magazines and 20 current newspapers from New Brunswick and elsewhere. Book ended? Need another? Buy a book at Book Ends, the used book shelf in the front lobby. Visitors will find a variety of books in very good to excellent condition, fiction and non-fiction, hardcover and paperback - all at bargain prices - ranging from $2 to $5. Money from the sale of these books, which are all donations and surplus to the library’s needs, is used to purchase new books for our collection. The operating hours for the Saint John Free Public Library in Market Square are as follows: Beginning the 2nd Monday in September and continuing until the 2nd Friday in June. Monday 9:00am - 5:00pm; Tuesday and Wednesday 10:00am - 5:00pm; Thursday and Friday 10:00am - 9:00pm; Saturday 9:00am - 5:00pm. Closed Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year’s Day. Other days between Christmas and New Year’s may have modified hours. There are two other branches of the Library one in East Saint John and one at the Lancaster Mall in West Saint John.
Public Libraries In The Greater Saint John Area: Saint John Free Public Library - Market Square West Branch Library - Lancaster Mall East Branch Library Kennebecasis Public Library Bibliothèque le Cormoran| |
The Saint John Library was founded in 1811 and is claimed as the first library in New Brunswick. As well, Canada’s first free public library was established in Saint John. An 1874 proposal was delayed by the devastating fire of 1877.
For Genealogy Research, we have extensive print and mircrofilm resources including Vital Statistics, books on genealogical research, family histories, newpapers and historical scrapbooks. Library staff will be happy to help cruise ship and other visitors. 
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