Happy 100th, Sumner Library: A Look Back at the Library Move
In 1938, the Sumner Branch of the Minneapolis Public Library was on the move, quite literally. The branch library, constructed in 1915, had to be relocated 100 feet north of its original location at 6th Ave. N and Emerson to accommodate the widening of 6th Ave. N (now known as Olson Memorial Highway).
How was this accomplished in 1938? With a jack and a crew of six men, of course! In her 1938 annual report, Sumner Branch Librarian Adelaide Rood wrote, “The distance, one hundred feet directly north from the original location, was covered one-eighth of an inch at a time, by a crew of six men each turning a large jack at the ringing command of the foreman to ‘Go ahead!’ It was, to the layman, a major feat of delicate engineering.”
Moving the library cost $32,000, which was $7,000 more than it cost to build the library in 1915. During the move, the library’s periodicals were covered with canvas and the book shelves were covered with newspapers. Much to the library staffs’ relief, the move was successful and the building and materials were preserved without damage.
The move wasn’t the only big event for Sumner Library in 1938. That same year, a new addition was built on the north side of the library, which housed an office and a reference room. The library was acquiring new patrons daily as residents began occupying the newly constructed Sumner Field Homes.
2015 is another milestone year for Sumner Library as the library turns 100 years old this year. To mark the occasion, Sumner Library is hosting a centennial celebration on Saturday, October 10th from 12-4 p.m. We hope you’ll join us in celebrating this fantastic community library!
In the meantime, if you’d like to see more photos of Sumner Library, check out these photos in Minnesota Reflections.
Learn more about the history of Sumner Library on Wikipedia.
