Howard County Library System
 
 
Historical Timeline

1940

  • Howard County Library created and began operating in a portable school building in Ellicott City.

1943

  • Lenna Baker Burgess appointed Supervisor for the Library at the Brian Building.

1945

  • Enactment of Maryland State Law made the Library eligible for State and County funds.

1952

  • A flash flood destroyed 5,175 books; within two months the Library reopened.

1958

  • The first bookmobile acquired to serve distant citizens.

1960

  • The Library moved to rented quarters on the corner of Route 144 & St. John's Lane.

1962

  • Dedicated first permanent Library building on Frederick Road.

1963

  • Marvin Thomas hired as Howard County Library's first director.
  • Developed a card catalog and began reference services.
  • Frederick Road Library began opening six days and four evenings per week and had air conditioning installed.

1966

  • Rented space to open small reading center in the Carroll Baldwin Memorial Hall in Savage.
  • Began purchasing paperbacks, enlarged hardback collection, and developed pamphlet collection.
  • Started offering photocopiers for public use.

1968

  • Opened Wilde Lake Branch Library.

1969

  • Regularly scheduled programs began in all library branches.
  • Opened a community library at Church Road & Main Street in Ellicott City.

1971

  • Developed building projections for a Central Library in Columbia.

1972

  • Established a microfilm collection.
  • Remodeled interior of Frederick Road Library for public use. Meeting room became the reading room for the fiction collection.
  • Established phonograph record collection.

1974

  • Minimobile purchased to serve special populations, institutions, and small residential areas.
  • Began services to the homebound.
  • Began Sunday hours from September to May at the Frederick Road Library.
  • Established audiocassette collection.

1975

  • Director formed CLUE (Central Library United Effort) citizen committee to facilitate the Central Library's building process.

1976

  • Opened Long Reach Branch Library in rented storefront in the Long Reach Village Center.
  • Established TTY service in the Long Reach Branch Library.

1977

  • Selected building site for Central Library; Howard Research and Development donated 3.5 acres of land.
  • Frederick Road balcony opened; housed fiction collection.

1979

  • Began automation and computerization of the Library system.
  • Acquired new bookmobile to service neighborhood stops, day care centers, and institutions.

1980

  • Administrative and support staff moved to the Central Library.

1981

  • Central Library opened to the public. Features included automated circulation system, audiovisual area, and large meeting room available for public use.
  • Lisbon Community Library opened on Frederick Road.
  • Library director created citizen groups to review future library needs.

1983

  • Babywise service began to loan developmentally appropriate toys for infants and toddlers.

1984

  • Library offered personal computers for public use.
  • Elkridge Community Library opened in a rented storefront along Route 1.

1985

  • Lisbon Community Library moved to the Lisbon Center.
  • Established videocassette collection.

1986

  • Renovated the Charles E. Miller Branch Library (formerly Frederick Road Library). Closed the Church Road Community Library.

1987

  • Established compact disc collection.

1989

  • Introduced INFO-LAN, a stand-alone multi workstation CD-ROM network for public use.
  • Online patron access catalogs available for the public.
  • Online searching (DIALOG and LOGIN) available. Expanded information services.
  • Health Information Services established.
  • Mobile Resource Center for Project Literacy began providing one-on-one tutoring programs for adults.
  • Easy Access projects began providing materials and services for the deaf, hearing impaired and developmentally disabled.

1990

  • Dial-in access to the Library catalog available.

1991

  • Savage Branch Library opened, replacing Savage Community Library that closed along with bookmobile services.
  • INFO-LAN available after hours.

1993

  • Elkridge Branch Library opened, and Elkridge Community Library closed.

1994

  • East Columbia Branch Library opened. Administrative and support staff moved to separate offices at East Columbia location.
  • Library connects to Internet.

1996

  • DataDepot, the Library's information computer station, opens in The Mall in Columbia.
  • Library Director Marvin Thomas retired after 33 years with the Library. Norma Hill became the new director.
  • Introduced new Library logo.
  • Premier issue of Great Expectations, a quarterly publication of Library programs, news, and resources.
  • Library of Congress designated Howard County Library as home of the Maryland Center for the Book.
  • More than 8,900 children and teens participated in the Summer Reading Program.

1997

  • Celebrated tenth anniversary of Project Literacy.
  • Pulitzer Prize winner Maxine Kumin read at East Columbia Branch.
  • Grant from the Governor's Office of Crime Control Prevention provided funding for multimedia computers with homework products for teens.

1998

  • "Mother Goose Asks Why" literature/science program for children introduced, sponsored by the National Science Foundation.
  • Library's web site went live: www.howa.lib.md.us.
  • First fundraiser, Evening in the Stacks, hosted at the East Columbia Branch. The Washington Post was the title sponsor.
  • Held groundbreaking ceremony for the Glenwood Branch Library.
  • Assisted Howard County General Hospital in developing collection for the Claudia Mayer Cancer Resource and Imaging Center.

1999

  • Learning Lab, a portable network with six notebook computers, introduced to enhance Library-sponsored web and PC training.
  • Outreach program initiated to offer Library services to non-English speakers.
  • Maryland Center for the Book launched Write From Maryland directory of authors.
  • National Book Award winner Alice McDermott appeared at Supper at Six.
  • Five-year Strategic Plan introduced.

2000

  • Howard County General Hospital bestowed major grant to fund children's events and curriculum.
  • Howard County Library renewed for second term as the home of Maryland Center for the Book.
  • Supper at Six featured acclaimed novelist Gail Godwin.
  • Central Library closed for renovation.
  • Lisbon Community Library closed.
  • Opened Glenwood Branch Library to serve western Howard County region. Meeting room designated The Pindell Room to honor western Howard County residents Bill and Betty Pindell.

2001

  • Renewed for third term as the home of Maryland Center for the Book.
  • DVDs added to the collection.
  • Library Director Norma Hill retired after 21 years with the Library, last five as the director. Valerie J. Gross became the new director.
  • Supper at Six welcomed nationally known author Sue Miller.
  • Central Library reopened after 17-month, $5.37 million renovation.

2002

  • Burgess Meeting Room designated at Miller Branch in honor of Lenna Baker Burgess, one of Howard County's first librarians.
  • Added American Sign Language video collection.
  • Award-winning author Elizabeth Berg appeared at Supper at Six.
  • Announced A+ Partners in Education initiative between Howard County Library and Howard County Public School System.

2003

  • Hosted Newberry Medal author Linda Sue Park at Outstanding Children's Author Series.
  • Launched innovative partnership initiative, DEAR (Dogs Educating and Assisting Readers), for third grade students reading below grade level.
  • Celebrated Elkridge Branch's tenth anniversary.
  • Expanded Elkridge and Savage Branch hours to include Sundays.
  • Selected to host Maryland Center for the Book for another three-year period, until the end of 2005.

2004

  • Launched Newcomers Book Discussion, a program developed for high school ESOL students.
  • Friends of Howard County Library established an endowment fund with the Columbia Foundation.
  • Library Board of Trustees adopted the Howard County Library Facilities and Assessment Master Plan: Facilities and Services 2005 to 2030.
  • Named Non-Profit Business of the Year by the Howard County Chamber of Commerce.
  • Named Educator of the Year by the Howard County Chamber of Commerce.
  • Awarded an Accessibility Award by the Howard County Commission on Disabilities for the acquisition of an American Sign Language video collection.
  • Received a Triple A Partnership Award for significant contributions to Accelerating the Academic Achievement of students in Howard County through A+ Partners in Education.
  • Director Valerie Gross included in the Library Journal's Movers & Shakers 2004: The People who are Shaping the Future of Libraries.
  • Won the national Lemony Snicket contest sponsored by Harper Collins. Hosted Lemony Snicket at standing-room-only event.
  • Hosted Alma Powell at special event with 55 third graders.
  • Launched a Cancer Information Collection at Central Library.
  • Began offering free wireless Internet access at all branches, the first and only public library in Maryland to do so.
  • Replaced the operating system of the entire fleet of public access PCs with a special version of Linux.
  • Celebrated the first full year of Maryland AskUsNow!, a statewide virtual reference project.
  • Initiated e-mail notifications to inform customers about return dates of materials borrowed.
  • Hosted Farmers Markets at the East Columbia and Glenwood branches.
  • Hosted author Susan Minot at Supper at Six.

2005

  • Ranked first in the nation among the great public library systems, according to Hennen's 2005 American Public Library Ratings (HAPLR).
  • Launched new Howard County Library brand using "Hi" logo as visual identity. The new identity reflects the Library's progressive nature, emphasizes its customer service, and highlights its educational role.
  • Celebrated East Columbia Branch's tenth anniversary.
  • Hosted Elinor Lipman as Supper at Six author.
  • Initiated field trips to the Library as part of the Howard County Public School System Kindergarten curriculum.
  • Launched the Howard County Library Spelling Bee.
  • Launched Teen Time, an East Columbia Branch after-school initiative.
  • Partnered with Howard County Tourism and Howard County Government on the Blossoms of Hope project, an initiative to beautify Howard County with 1,000 Kawanzan cherry trees.
  • Implemented the loaning of e-books to be downloaded to computer or PDA.
  • Summer reading program video, "Blast Off to Reading" selected as a finalist for the Telly Award.
  • Developed Strong Foundations, Enduring Success, Howard County Library's strategic plan for 2006 through 2010.
  • Featured as WebJunction's "Library of the Month."

2006

  • Launched Teen 'Zine, an online publication written and produced by teens.
  • Launched Cultural Connections to address the needs of Chinese and Korean residents.
  • Expanded the Cancer Information Collection into a Health Education Center.
  • Partnered with HC DrugFree to increase awareness of substance abuse prevention in Howard County.
  • Established a partnership with the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts.
  • Established a new Transitions Collection with resources specifically designed for new adult readers.
  • Hosted Jack Gantos, the Outstanding Children's Author Series speaker.
  • Launched the BumbleBee, a companion initiative to the Howard County Library spelling bee for first, second, and third grade students.

2007

  • Began offering year-round summer hours at Central and Miller branches.
  • Director Valerie Gross selected to represent Maryland public libraries on the State's Gifted and Talented Advisory Council.
  • Led 40 partners in countywide Choose Civility initiative to make Howard County a national model of respect, consideration, empathy, and tolerance.
  • Launched "This is Your Life," a partnership among Howard County Library, Columbia Archives, Howard County Historical Society, and other community organizations to record oral interviews with local residents.

2008

  • Established official partnership with the Howard County Autism Society.
  • Hosted Battle of the Books, a reading competition for fifth grade students.
  • Developed and presented a series of financial literacy workshops for all ages.
  • Hosted Bruce Coville, an award-winning children's author.
  • Hosted award-winning graphic novelist, Gene Luen Yang.

 
History