History Catonsville Room Children's Mural
History of the Catonsville Library
Libraries have been important to the community of Catonsville for over a century. In
the late 1800s, Library Hall on Frederick Road opposite Egges Lane provided a small book
collection, with separate reading rooms for men and women. But it was not free; books were
rented for a few cents a day.
In the 1930s need for a free public library was recognized. In 1941 the Catonsville
Library Association, Inc., was formed. To fund the library, volunteers went door to door
soliciting $1 from local residents. Donations of books and magazines were welcomed.
On July 1, 1941, the Catonsville Free Public Library opened its doors in a rented
building on Frederick Road. By 1945 the book collection numbered 3,625 volumes for adults
and 1,276 for children, plus newspapers and periodicals. There was also a branch library
at the Banneker School.
The busy library soon outgrew its rented quarters. In 1945 the library association
purchased a small brick building at 927 Frederick Road, where library service thrived,
breaking previous daily circulation records.
Catonsville Library 1996
Continued growth necessitated a new location. In 1961, land was purchased at 1100
Frederick Road, where the historical mansion Castle Thunder
had once stood. The new Catonsville Area Branch Library, part of the Baltimore County
Public Library system, was dedicated in December 1963. The library has flourished at this
location for more than 30 years, making changes when needed, to serve the information
needs of the community and the county.
The book collection now numbers 172,559 volumes, plus 16,331 non-print items. Books,
videos, CDs, talking books, and magazines contribute to an annual circulation of 1,090,317
items. Computer catalogs have replaced historical card catalogs, and include a wide range
of on-line data bases.
Eight full-time and several part-time librarians assist library users in their search
for information. An able circulation staff serves the public and keeps materials in order.
The Friends of the Catonsville Library, established in 1962, provides continued support to
library projects, through generous donations, as well as staffing and maintaining the
Catonsville Room.
One of the special collections available at the Catonsville Public Library is the
Catonsville Room. Located on the lower level of the building, it is staffed by
knowledgeable volunteers, most from the Friends of the Catonsville Library.
The collection contains information about the history of the town of Catonsville as
well as a history of the library. There are old maps, city directories, transcripts of
oral histories, yearbooks of the Catonsville High School, and numerous picture
collections.
The Catonsville Room is open every Thursday from 2 - 5 PM and on the first Wednesday
night of the month from 7 - 8:45 PM. Call ahead to confirm, especially if the weather is
bad.
Children's Mural in Catonsville Library Courtyard
The children's mural in Catonsville Public Library's Heidelbach Memorial Garden is
the culmination of a year-and-a-half community project that was spearheaded by the
Catonsville Garden Club. The club voted unanimously to invite children from the area to
decorate the mural. Then Catonsville Library manager Fran Ware called it "a gift by
the children of Catonsville to the people of Catonsville."
Garden Club conservation chairperson Nancy Sandbower proposed the concept and visited
eight area schools to solicit participation. Students from Hillcrest, Maiden Choice,
Catonsville Middle, St. Mark's, Westowne, St. Agnes, St. Paul, and Delrey schools helped
design the six panels that make up the mural.
Each panel depicts a scene from a children's literature classic and is surrounded by a
decorative border of vine cast.
The mural was officially dedicated on June 2, 1996 and can be seen in the Heidelbach
Memorial Garden, located in the courtyard of the Catonsville Library. It can easily be
seen from windows in the children's area of the library.
Catonsville Library Staff 6/96
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