
Back door entrance to Northside
Library. There is no front door.
Steve Goers, who runs the
place, says “This
IS the front door.”
He says that a lot. To some of us, it seems like a back door.

Plenty of room to park by the "front"
door.

Wide choice of media available.
Anyway, our Northside
Library features numerous racks of books, magazines, DVDs, audio tapes, and
computers inside. If they don't have your specific item on site,
they can probably get it for you. You’ll
also find groups of neighbors and packs of students in there researching
various topics. They also showcase Parks Area memorabilia.

Remember Des Moines University? Look for DMU memorabilia in their
meeting room.

Remember the Highland Park College?

Oak Park memorabilia also.

Parks Area commemorative plates also.

A Change in the Highland Park College diploma.

Plus an entire off-site voting team today.

Looks like the old Aqualand building pre-Aqualand by 3/4 century.

South wall of the meeting room.

West wall.
You need to check out these display cases
in person. We show only a few samples here. Many of the old
photos illustrate life in a different era. You history buffs can also
check out a DVD of a movie made of the Highland Park business area during
1936.

12.02.04. Our North Side Library celebrated its 20th birthday at
its current location.

Many Friends of the Library attended
the festivities.

Have some lasagna, salad, and cake and have your picture taken.
Happy 20th birthday.
A Brief History of
the North Side Library
1919. Highland Park’s first library was
established on the southwest corner of Sixth and Euclid Avenues (the old
Bob Smith Drug Store).
1919 to1924. The library moved three times -- to the
northwest corner of Sixth and Euclid (the old Durrette Drug Store, now
Aqualand Pets Plus), then to the basement of the Highland Park Christian
Church (then at Sixth and Clinton), then to the northeast corner of Sixth
and Euclid (the Euclid Avenue Bank building).
1924. The City purchased the two-story family home of William
H. Woods at 3516 Fifth Avenue. During the next half century, the
North Side Library grew more and more crowded until ...
1976. The North Side Library moved to leased space in Park
Fair Mall. Then to a larger and more accessible location at Park
Fair.
1984. The North Side Library built a brand new location at
Fifth and Euclid. After two decades, the place still looks nearly
brand new.
2004. Happy 20th North Side Library. Still looking good
-- especially since it’s really your 85th
birthday.

January, 2005 meeting of the Friends of the Northside Library looking at new photo
acquisitions.

And, of course, the entire system is financed by your late book fees
($578.13 in this case).
Return to Home Page