| The new Library was dedicated on September 11, 1971, which survived a major fire in 1996. Today the library circulates almost 375,000 items a year, offers free Internet access, computer training, movie rentals, audio books and music CD’s, software to learn English and more. The first Danbury Library was founded in 1770 by Rev. Ebenezer Baldwin, but all the books were lost when Danbury burned in 1777. A library company was formed in 1793 and it cost $1.75 to join. It became the Mechanic's Library in 1833, which cost $2.00 for membership and had no fiction unless it was approved by 3/4 of the directors. In 1869 Danbury Library was incorporated and by 1879 it was in the building at 254 Main St. by Library Place (pictured below). August of 1893 saw the Danbury Library become a free library, before that it cost $1.50 a year to be a member, which was a lot of money back then. In 1906, the stacks were opened and before that, people had to ask for a book instead of being able to get it off the shelf themselves. |
