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MBLC Celebrates 125 Years

1913

Carnegie will lay the cornerstones today

Andrew Carnegie visited Worcester on March 26, 1913 and helped lay the cornerstones for three branch libraries.1


In 1913: The Massachusetts Legislature passed An Act to Authorize the Appointment by the Board of Free Public Library Commissioners of a Director or Educational Work for Aliens:

"Since last fall the Free Public Library Commission has been interested in aiding libraries in work with foreigners, both by providing books and by organized efforts to introduce the library to the foreign-speaking population...Libraries are recognized as wholly non-political and non-sectarian, and therefore have a special opportunity to welcome newcomers to this country and interest them in all that pertains to good citizenship."2

TODAY: The MBLC's consultant to the underserved provides services to new Americans, people with disabilities, the incarcerated, the homeless, and the illiterate.3

What else happened in 1913?

  • Grand Central Terminal, the world's largest rail terminal, opened in New York City.4
  • Passed by Congress on July 2, 1909, and ratified February 3, 1913, the 16th amendment established Congress's right to impose a Federal income tax.5
  • The first moving assembly line was introduced and adopted for mass production by the Ford Motor Company, allowing automobile construction time to decrease by almost 10 hours per vehicle.6

References:
1. www.necarnegies.com [link].
2. Twenty-fourth Report of the Free Public Library Commission of Massachusetts, 1914.
3. MBLC website [link].
4. www.pbs.org [link].
5. www.ourdocuments.gov [link].
6. americasbesthistory.com [link].