Rosenberg’s dream finally came to fruition. Marcellus E. Kleberg, a city attorney, extolled Galveston’s new library during the building’s dedication. The pride in the city was palpable. My friends, we stand upon hallowed ground doubly hallowed as the temple of – literature, art, and science, and by an exalted altruism embracing within its sphere the people of this city for all time. A good and noble deed never dies. It is of the essence divine. And though beneath the sweep of centuries this stately building may crumble into dust, the blessed charity of Henry Rosenberg will live on in the hearts of the children of men. The last and greatest of the charities founded by Mr. Rosenberg stands completed, a luminous monument to his benevolence and to his memory. His name will ever be kept in grateful repute by the people of this city, and the sentiments which throb in our hearts will be transmitted from generation to generation. (Patten, 1918, p. 173) The cost of the building itself was $155,000 and was 87 by 134 feet. years of moving around, Galveston’s local library now had a permanent home. The tradition that began in 1871 at the Galveston Mercantile Library continued with the Rosenberg Library, which absorbed the 3,200 books still in the collection. Frank Patten, Rosenberg Library’s first librarian, mentions in his chronology of the library’s history that Galveston Public Library had many more volumes (about 7,000) but that they were much worn to be of further use” (Patten, 1918, p. 187). “too Despite this, the collections still in Galveston Public Library created a strong foundation for the Rosenberg Library, and the librarians added public documents and rare books to Rosenberg Library’s archival collection. The first board of directors included Major A. J. Walker as president, Colonel M. F. Mott as vice president, Captain J. P. Alvey as treasurer, and I. Lovenberg as secretary. The layout of the library was fairly simple. On the first floor of the new library, there was a lending desk, two
Rosenberg’s dream finally came to fruition. Marcellus E. Kleberg, a city attorney, extolled Galveston’s new library during the building’s dedication. The pride in the city was palpable. My friends, we stand upon hallowed ground – doubly hallowed as the temple of literature, art, and science, and by an exalted altruism embracing within its sphere the people of this city for all time. A good and noble deed never dies. It is of the essence divine. And though beneath the sweep of centuries this stately building may crumble into dust, the blessed charity of Henry Rosenberg will live on in the hearts of the children of men. The last and greatest of the charities founded by Mr. Rosenberg stands completed, a luminous monument to his benevolence and to his memory. His name will ever be kept in grateful repute by the people of this city, and the sentiments which throb in our hearts will be transmitted from generation to generation. (Patten, 1918, p. 173) The cost of the building itself was $155,000 and was 87 by 134 feet. years of moving around, Galveston’s local library now had a permanent home. The tradition that began in 1871 at the Galveston Mercantile Library continued with the Rosenberg Library, which absorbed the 3,200 books still in the collection. Frank Patten, Rosenberg Library’s first librarian, mentions in his chronology of the library’s history that Galveston Public Library had many more volumes (about 7,000) but that they were “too much worn to be of further use” (Patten, 1918, p. 187). Despite this, the collections still in Galveston Public Library created a strong foundation for the Rosenberg Library, and the librarians added public documents and rare books to Rosenberg Library’s archival collection. The first board of directors included Major A. J. Walker as president, Colonel M. F. Mott as vice president, Captain J. P. Alvey as treasurer, and I. Lovenberg as secretary. The layout of the library was fairly simple. On the first floor of the new library, there was a lending desk, two
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