150 Years of Library History, in Brief

It’s been said that to know your future, you must know your past. As Moorestown prepares to make important decisions about the future of our library, it seems appropriate take a moment to reflect on the library’s rich past.

Though the first subscription library in Moorestown dates back to 1808, the real groundwork for today’s library was set in 1853, when members of the Quaker Meeting established the Association of Friends. The library consisted of one bookcase in the Main Street shop of John Buzby, the first librarian. Patrons could borrow books whenever Mr. Buzby’s shop was open for business.

For the first 25 years, the library had no permanent home. Each time a shopkeeper was no longer willing or able to do double duty as librarian, the library moved to the next business. It occupied Howard Leeds’ jewelry store on Main Street and two milliners’ shops before finding its first official home in the in 1879. In this location, the library started its children’s book collection, introduced the tradition of story hour, supplied books to soldiers during World War I, and grew to more than 1,000 volumes.

In 1926, Eldridge R. Johnson built the , and the thriving library moved into its west wing.  In 1932, an expansion created more space for the library, which continued to grow in size and popularity. Additional expansions in the 1960s provided temporary accommodations for the increasing numbers of books and people that made the library a vibrant Moorestown destination. 

By 1970, the Board of Trustees set a goal to attain a new library space that would provide at least 22,000 square feet in the center of town.  The Board launched a campaign to raise awareness using the acronym SPACE, “ ‘Some People Are Concerned Enough’ to provide good library service in Moorestown.” Indeed, many citizens were concerned enough to write letters to the newspaper and submit signatures to Town Council in support of the library’s growth.

After years of discussing, planning, advocating, and some arguing, the current Moorestown Library finally opened its doors on March 1, 1975.  The day did not go off without a hitch; the first visitors had to use the staff entrance, as the contractor, angry over a dispute with Town Council, padlocked the front the door. Council obtained a restraining order against the contractor, and two weeks later, the library’s front doors were open to the public.

From its earliest Quaker roots, generation after generation has shaped the Moorestown Library to meet the changing needs of our community for over 150 years. Now it is our turn to write the next chapter in the story of the Moorestown Library.

For more on the colorful history of our town’s library, check out The Moorestown Free Library: A history, 1853-1974, by Christopher Darlington.