Newark's First Citizen

Newark Public Library

I don’t know where John Cotton Dana got his energy but he seemed to have had a never ending supply.  When we left him in Newark yesterday he was busy revolutionizing the library and starting a museum.  In his spare time he was actively involved in the life of the community.  Dana could have been the “First Citizen” of Springfield, M.A. but it seems that his ideas were a little to progressive for Western Massachusetts.  He founded Springfield’s first library in 1898 and was excited about incorporating the art and history museum into the library.  Wealthy collectors and the museum curator didn’t share his enthusiasm and Dana moved onto to greener pastures in Newark in 1901.  Dana believe deeply in personal freedom and respected the aethetic of each individual .  He did not believe it was role to ‘educate’ the masses or tell them what to think.  Instead he wanted to lay out a banquet of learning for them to choose from based on their own appetites.  
The library was 14 yrs. old when Dana arrived and eagerly took the reigns.  He began publicizing books and programs at library in the local paper in order to reach out and attrack the diverse community.  The ALA actually awards ‘The John Cotton Dana Award’ (started in 1946) to libraries that distinguish themselves in public relations and pubic education.  Dana was famous for doing both.  He also believed that women should be treated equally and, according to Bruce E. Ford’s article, wrote,
“every woman who knows enough to do it should take advantage of every possible opportunity to promote the independence of women. No young woman should be expected to stay at home and take care of her parents with any greater degree of expectancy than is extended to the young men of the family.”   
He proved his point by hiring librarian Beatrice Winser and trusting her to manage and operate the library and the museum.
One of the things that struck me about Dana was that although he was a great thinker, he remembered the small stuff that mattered to the community on a daily basis.  He made it easier for people to get library cards, extended building hours, wrote a newsletter, added books to the collection (even fiction!) and encouraged children in the library.  He believed that the library should play a role in helping people to be better citizens and added areas for pamphlets and maps that would help citizens learn about the services, find their way around the city and learn to vote.  When Dana added a new program or service (usually after conducting a survey or needs assessment) he made sure his community new about it - he made flyers, took out adds and created posters.
He always imagined himself in his patron’s shoes and thought about how he could help them learn and grow.
Dana energy was matched by his interest in learning new things and bringing them to others..  The Dictionary of Art Historian’s entry explains that in 1909 he founded the Newark Museum at the library and began displaying art from the collections of Newark Residents.   The Newark Museum was one of the first to collect American Art, (Dana disliked “treasure quality art”) and sought folk artists in America. I’m thinking that he would not have seen eye-to-eye with the great Mr. Morgan, as he believe that "beauty has no relation to age, rarity or price."  
Dana was an educated, intellectual man of the people, not so common in the early part of the century.  He didn’t have a pretentious bone in his body and truly worked to serve others.   Newark was lucky to have him for so long - he probably did the work of ten people in his lifetime - I am confident that he changed the course of many lives for the better during his stay on our planet.

John Cotton Dana

John Cotton Dana

I closed my eyes, pointed my finger at the map and ended up in Denver, Colorado.  Why not?  It was time to get off the coast and investigate the great interior and Denver is a very cool place that I’ve actually been to.  It took me about two seconds to realize I had opened a treasure chest...Andrew Carnegie, John Cotton Dana, Michael Graves, Frederick Ross...where to begin?  I dialed back the clock to the 1880s, which is where I left off yesterday with Mr. Pratt, and started reading.

How have I not learned about John Cotton Dana in the last three months?  Known as Newark, N.J.’s ‘First Citizen’ he was a revolutionary librarian way ahead of his time.  Thanks to an excerpt from Michael J. Haeuser’s book,  entitled "With Grace, Elegance, and Flair: The First 25 Years of Gustavus Library Associates", I learned about Dana’s fascinating life.  He began his career as a lawyer (a graduate of Dartmouth College) and headed to Denver to take advantage of the healthy mountain air.  He became incensed at the Denver Library ‘hands off’’ approach to books and began a letter writing campaign to change the practice.  Before he knew it he was invited to take on the challenge of Library Director in Denver himself, which he eagerly accepted.  The first library in Denver was actually housed in a wing of the Denver High School that Dana called, “a center for public happiness,” I’m not even making that up -  it was not exactly what the upper crust was used to in their exclusive intellectual retreats.  Dana was a true progressive, dogged in his pursuit of a library that was a relevant community center, that met the needs of all patrons.

Dana was the kind of librarian who loved books so much that he wanted to share them with everyone, not lock them away,  he knew that reading was the key ingredient on the path to personal and professional growth.  People like Dana (and Carnegie) believed passionately that the library should play an important role in the lives of all citizens, even children, women and immigrants.  These beliefs led Dana to the crazy idea that people should be allowed to look for their own books, without getting the librarian’s permission or guidance.  Open stacks were a new and frightening concept in many libraries at the turn of the century, the librarian was used to being the gate keeper, employed to guard the books from sticky fingers and general misuse.  John Cotton Dana threw away the key for good.

After nine years in Denver, Dana moved to Springfield, MA and then onto Newark, N.J. where he spent the rest of his life and really made his mark.    Rutger’s library in Newark is now named after Dana and provides more information about his influence in the city.  Not surprisingly, Dana got right to work in Newark.  He added special collections for the large immigrant community, welcomed children into the hallowed halls and reached out to businessman, teachers, health care providers and college students.  He worked as a trustee for many institutions in the city and supported the N.J. Law School (later named Dana College) and the Seth Boyden School of Business.  In addition to all this, he began a museum on the 4th floor of the library and convinced citizens of Newark to loan their valuable collections for display.  He offered 50 displays at the museum in only seven years and attracted a quarter million visitors.

Clearly Dana is a library hero that  needs at least another day of attention.  For now I’ll leave you with Dana’s own words, “ "For over twenty years I have found that I leave my library with regret, however long the day has been, and return to it always with delight."