Reporter Finds a Ton of History about the Duluth Public Library at the Duluth Public Library

Duluth Public Library

Link to November 21 Duluth News Tribune article, "Duluth Public Library almost as old as city".

Excerpt: The other day, I stopped by the reference desk at the library.

“I’m looking for information on the history of the Duluth Public Library,” I said.

Chris Aho, a librarian, promptly led me to a filing cabinet and retrieved nine folders. I was shown to a table in a quiet area, given the files, and invited to sit down.

“I’ll be right back,” she said.

Soon she returned, wheeling a cart groaning under the weight of 38 folios, 10 oversized binders, a thick manila envelope and a handful of dog-eared bound volumes. I gulped.

As I began to look through the materials, I marveled; I did not have to prove American citizenship, I did not have to be a Duluth resident and I did not have to pay anything to access this information.

In only five minutes, the magic of the public library had revealed itself to me: This is a place for everybody, with equal access for everyone.