A History of Westlake Porter Public Library
"For the purpose, and in the hope of founding and establishing a public or township library that may prove a lasting benefit and blessing to the people of Dover, I give and bequeath to the township of Dover, for a public library the sum of one thousand dollars …"
The ancestors of Leonard G. Porter (1806-1884) came to Massachusetts from England two years after the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock. In 1826 Mr. Porter's family immigrated to Dover, Cuyahoga County, Ohio.
The following decade was one of population growth for Dover Township in which the pioneers settled the land and began clearing the forest. By 1840 Dover had a population of 960 and a sound beginning.
Joseph Cahoon built a mill to grind the grain. Asahel Porter started the post office. Philo Taylor constructed a sawmill and opened a tavern. Nathan Bassett turned a lathe to form furniture and raised bees on his farm. Amos Sperry opened a blacksmith shop. Reuben C. Hall built wagons. Charles Hall made barrels and laundry tubs. The town of Dover Township began to thrive.
Leonard G. Porter was at home among the town builders. The tenth born of eleven children, he made his living as a teacher at Dover Academy. Mr. Porter contributed much in his lifetime to the growth of Dover Township, but perhaps even more upon his death, since a provision in his will allotted the sum of $1,000 to the establishment of a public library in Dover and a collection of books to be housed within.
Circulation records date back to 1893 when the average circulation per week was 24 and 1/12, about 1,252 books per year. As Dover Township grew, so did its library. The town passed a tax revenue agreement in support of library funds in 1897.
The original home of Porter Library
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The types of library services and the way in which they were provided varied in the 1900s. Porter Public Library served the needs of its patrons in multiple ways, including the organization of debates, meetings and social functions. An Ice Cream Saloon was held on alternate Saturdays. The library extended its services to the Dover Township schools in 1920. Patrons discussed the merits of prohibition overcoming the wiles of intemperance, whether or not poverty had a greater effect than riches on good character, and whether or not women should have the right to vote. Much controversy surrounded the influence of fiction and its effects upon intellectual dissipation as the libraries of the era began to evolve into the modern annals of today. Regardless their opinions, the citizens of Dover Township continued to support their library. One such citizen, Sophronia Clague, bestowed the generous sum of $10,000 to the library to buy books. In 1933 the permanent legislation enacted by the Ohio State Legislature allocated proceeds from personal property tax to the boards of library trustees. Porter Public Library received $3,096.
Porter Public Library in 1950
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Audrey Ward served as library director from 1939-1960. The 1940s saw continued development of the library. The building was remodeled, hours of service increased, and the book budget improved. The library moved to new quarters in 1950, the Ohio Bell Telephone Company building at 27509 Center Ridge Road. By 1957, the library trustees realized that with the growth of the population of the community (an amazing rate of one family per day), Porter Library needed room to expand.
In July of 1958 the library celebrated a ground breaking for a new addition. The new wing opened on February 1, 1960. Under the leadership of library director, Kathleen Carnall, the library facilitated its goals of bringing people together, promoting community involvement, sharing information and encouraging learning. The sixties were a time of change in America characterized by young people wanting to make the world a better place for all, no matter their race or gender. Porter Public Library met the needs of the times. The staff developed pre-school and school age children's programming, such as story hours. They acquired a young adult collection, and extended library services to parochial schools. They supported adult programs, and organized a pamphlet and picture file, a periodical collection, and a film, filmstrip and phonograph collection.
Porter Public Library in 1970
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In 1981 the library acquired a special resident. A one-eyed gray and black tabby cat named Jiggers adopted the library and took up residence after her family added a dog. Jiggers moved with the library when the building took permanent residence at 27333 Center Ridge Road in 1985. She settled into the position of library mascot, a position she occupied until her death in January 1992.
Porter Public Library experienced many changes in the decades that followed. The explosion of information technology called for advances to the library environment, and Porter Public Library accepted the challenge. The library catalog became an online version in 1986. The library provided patrons with computers and the classes to learn how to use them. On October 12, 1992 Paula Miller, library director, joined the staff and shared her vision of the future. In the early 1990s the library took on the role of community center for advanced telecommunications and multimedia/electronic access. Collections also changed to include multimedia such as CDs, videos, and later DVDs. Online reference services became available. Outreach services expanded.
Porter Public Library in 1993
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The library moved into a temporary facility in 1999 --the former Rego grocery store at 24350 Center Ridge Road-- while the building was expanded from 32,000 to 75,000 square feet. July 22, 2002 marked the new library's opening day. The cutting edge features combined with enhanced traditional library services. Innovative designs upheld the mission of Westlake Porter Public Library, "...to educate, empower, enlighten, and excite."
Westlake Porter Public Library now offers a drive-up window, children's "imagination stations," listening stations, quiet rooms, meeting rooms, a cafe, and a gift shop. In 2002, over one million items were borrowed in a single year; quite an increase from 1,252 books in 1893! The Westlake Porter Public Library rose to Number 2 in the national Hennen's 2004 American Public Library Ratings. One has only to enter the doors to know why. But the story doesn't end there. The library continues to progress. In 2005, we enjoyed the addition of a reading garden, a "living room," improved PC scheduling, web site enhancements, and historical digitization.
Westlake Porter Public Library in 2004
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If we were able to speak with Leonard G. Porter today, he would no doubt agree with Benjamin Franklin who said, "An investment in knowledge pays the best interest." The citizens of Westlake share the pride of our library's founder in knowing that Westlake Porter Public Library is an asset to their lives.
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