Joseph Otis, Deacon of the Second Congregational Church of Norwich, founded Otis Library in 1850. The Library was housed, from 1850 to 1962, in a brick Greek Revival structure across from City Hall in Union Square. In 1892, a new annex was built providing short-lived relief from overcrowding. However, before the early decades of the 20th century had passed, overcrowding once again became severe. With no room for expansion in the Union Square facility, the children’s library was moved to an off-site location to free space for Otis’ ever-growing collections and ever-increasing number of patrons. Again, the relief was temporary. By the late 1950s, it became clear that more drastic measures were necessary to accommodate the Library’s collections and provide adequate services to the area’s population.
Read more>>
|
