Elizabeth Public Library

	Mid-Town Historic District
	U.S. National Register of Historic Places
	U.S. Historic district – Contributing property
	New Jersey Register of Historic Places
	Location within Union County, New Jersey Location within New Jersey Location within the United States
Coordinates	40°39′42″N 74°12′55″W / 40.661539°N 74.215199°W
NRHP reference No.	95001143
NJRHP No.	2665
Significant dates
Added to NRHP	October 5, 1995
Designated NJRHP	September 29, 1994

The Main Library undergoing renovations in Fall 2011

The Elizabeth Public Library is the free public library of Elizabeth, New Jersey. Serving a population of approximately 127,558, its collection contains 342,305 volumes, circulating 190,581 items annually^[1] from its four locations.^[2]

Locations

Main Library - 11 South Broad Street
LaCorte Branch Library - 408 Palmer Street
Elmora Branch Library - 730 W. Grand Street
Elizabethport Branch Library - 102-110 Third Street

Carnegie library building

Elizabeth's Main Library was built during the "free library movement" at the turn of the 20th century in part with the impetus of Charles N. Fowler,^[4] US Congressman from Union County. It is one of New Jersey's original thirty-six Carnegie libraries, which by the 1940s had become one of the busiest libraries of its size in the USA.^[5] Records show that millionaire Andrew Carnegie granted $130,810 made February 3, 1910, for the main and no longer existing Liberty Plaza branch libraries.^[6]^[7] Opened in 1912, the building, reminiscent of an Italian palazzo and the Boston Public Library was designed by Edward Lippincott Tilton,^[8] who had designed many other Carnegie libraries as well as the immigration station at Ellis Island. It is a contributing property to the Midtown Historic District, a state and federal historic district established in 1994–1995.^[3] The Main Library is the Federal Depository Library for Union County.

Branch libraries

The Elizabeth Public Library consists of its main library along with 3 other branch libraries, which includes the Elmora, LaCorte, and Elizabethport branches.^[9]

Elmora

Located in Elmora, a neighborhood in Elizabeth containing a modern orthodox populace.^[10] Behind the library’s parking lot contains Groundwork Elizabeth's Microfarm, 3/4 acre microfarm accessible to the public.^[11]

LaCorte

The Nicholas S. LaCorte Branch is located in Peterstown, a neighborhood in Elizabeth marked by Italian roots and history.^[12] The library is in the Peterstown Community Center, which also houses the Public Health Nursing Clinic^[13] and the City of Elizabeth Office on Aging Senior Center.^[14]

Elizabethport

Also known as the E-Port branch, it is the newest branch of the libraries. Located in the downtown / port area of Elizabeth, the oldest area in the city.^[15]

Services

The Elizabeth Public Library has programs and services for people of all ages. The library's website has information about its free monthly events, adult classes, databases, and exhibitions.^[16] Its reoccurring adult classes include computer classes, often taught in both English and Spanish, ESL, English conversation, and GED / HSE classes.^[17]

References

↑ "Elizabeth Public Library". librarytechnology.org. September 21, 2011. Archived from the original on November 25, 2012. Retrieved October 6, 2011.
↑ "Libraries". Visiting Elizabeth Attractions. City of Elizabeth. Archived from the original on October 12, 2011. Retrieved October 7, 2011.
1 2 "New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places - Union County" (PDF). NJ DEP - Historic Preservation Office. September 6, 2011. p. 19. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 24, 2012. Retrieved October 8, 2011.
↑ "Libraries in New Jersey Growth of the Movement for the Free Circulation of Books" (PDF), The New York Times, December 16, 1900
↑ Rizzo, Joe (with Ellen (January 12, 2003), "My Job; Coming to the Rescue of Run-Down Libraries", The New York Times, archived from the original on March 6, 2016, retrieved October 3, 2011, One project I'm especially proud of is the Elizabeth Public Library, also in New Jersey. At the turn of the last century, Andrew Carnegie was benefactor to hundreds of libraries in the United States, and this is a Carnegie library. In the 1940s, it was one of the busiest libraries in the country for its size. But by the 1960s, with the shift to suburban development, circulation had seriously declined. In the 1990s, the city brought in a new librarian. He hired me to bring the building up to date. It hadn't been significantly renovated since the early 1960s. The carpets were ripped, the furniture was ancient and the roof was leaking. Some of the book collections hadn't been updated in more than 50 years. My team and I built a 2,000-square-foot room at the front of the building. There, we assembled the library's media collections, which had previously been kept out of sight: videotapes, audiotapes and CD's. We put these on prominent display in the new room. People loved it; circulation went way up. We also moved the children's area to the ground floor of the library. It had been next to the reference room, up a gigantic flight of stairs. Imagine all those noisy children next to people studying, or a mother having to push a stroller up all those stairs. The changes were a huge success. On the day of the dedication, one of the patrons came over to me and said, You gave us back our old library -- and gave us a new one.
↑ Bobinski, George S. (1969). Carnegie Libraries: Their History and Impact on American Public Library Development. Chicago: American Library Association. ISBN 0-8389-0022-4.
↑ Jones, Theodore (1997). Carnegie Libraries Across America. New York: John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 0-471-14422-3.
↑ Slyck, Abigail A. (July 20, 1998), Free to All Carnegie Libraries & American Culture, 1890-1920, University of Chicago Press, ISBN 978-0-226-85032-0
↑ "Hours & Directions – Elizabeth Public Library". elizpl.org. Retrieved July 11, 2026.
↑ Nashofer, Sheila (January 11, 2024). "Elizabeth, New Jersey: The Secret Jewel in the Crown". The Jewish Link. Retrieved July 11, 2026.
↑ "Groundwork Elizabeth MicroFarm". Visit Elizabeth, New Jersey. Retrieved July 11, 2026.
↑ "Peterstown Cultural Festival | Italian Festival in Elizabeth, NJ 2026". Visit Elizabeth, New Jersey. Retrieved July 11, 2026.
↑ "Public Health Nursing | Elizabeth, NJ". www.elizabethnj.org. Retrieved July 11, 2026.
↑ "Office on Aging | Elizabeth, NJ". www.elizabethnj.org. Retrieved July 11, 2026.
↑ "New Timeline". The Historical Society of Elizabeth. Retrieved July 11, 2026.
↑ "Elizabeth Public Library". www.elizpl.org. Retrieved July 11, 2026.
↑ "Adult Classes – Elizabeth Public Library". www.elizpl.org. Retrieved July 11, 2026.

External links

[1] "Elizabeth Public Library". librarytechnology.org. September 21, 2011. Archived from the original on November 25, 2012. Retrieved October 6, 2011.

[2] "Libraries". Visiting Elizabeth Attractions. City of Elizabeth. Archived from the original on October 12, 2011. Retrieved October 7, 2011.

[NJRHP-3] 1 2 "New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places - Union County" (PDF). NJ DEP - Historic Preservation Office. September 6, 2011. p. 19. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 24, 2012. Retrieved October 8, 2011.

[4] "Libraries in New Jersey Growth of the Movement for the Free Circulation of Books" (PDF), The New York Times, December 16, 1900

[rescue-5] Rizzo, Joe (with Ellen (January 12, 2003), "My Job; Coming to the Rescue of Run-Down Libraries", The New York Times, archived from the original on March 6, 2016, retrieved October 3, 2011, One project I'm especially proud of is the Elizabeth Public Library, also in New Jersey. At the turn of the last century, Andrew Carnegie was benefactor to hundreds of libraries in the United States, and this is a Carnegie library. In the 1940s, it was one of the busiest libraries in the country for its size. But by the 1960s, with the shift to suburban development, circulation had seriously declined. In the 1990s, the city brought in a new librarian. He hired me to bring the building up to date. It hadn't been significantly renovated since the early 1960s. The carpets were ripped, the furniture was ancient and the roof was leaking. Some of the book collections hadn't been updated in more than 50 years. My team and I built a 2,000-square-foot room at the front of the building. There, we assembled the library's media collections, which had previously been kept out of sight: videotapes, audiotapes and CD's. We put these on prominent display in the new room. People loved it; circulation went way up. We also moved the children's area to the ground floor of the library. It had been next to the reference room, up a gigantic flight of stairs. Imagine all those noisy children next to people studying, or a mother having to push a stroller up all those stairs. The changes were a huge success. On the day of the dedication, one of the patrons came over to me and said, You gave us back our old library -- and gave us a new one.

[6] Bobinski, George S. (1969). Carnegie Libraries: Their History and Impact on American Public Library Development. Chicago: American Library Association. ISBN 0-8389-0022-4.

[7] Jones, Theodore (1997). Carnegie Libraries Across America. New York: John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 0-471-14422-3.

[8] Slyck, Abigail A. (July 20, 1998), Free to All Carnegie Libraries & American Culture, 1890-1920, University of Chicago Press, ISBN 978-0-226-85032-0

[9] "Hours & Directions – Elizabeth Public Library". elizpl.org. Retrieved July 11, 2026.

[10] Nashofer, Sheila (January 11, 2024). "Elizabeth, New Jersey: The Secret Jewel in the Crown". The Jewish Link. Retrieved July 11, 2026.

[11] "Groundwork Elizabeth MicroFarm". Visit Elizabeth, New Jersey. Retrieved July 11, 2026.

[12] "Peterstown Cultural Festival | Italian Festival in Elizabeth, NJ 2026". Visit Elizabeth, New Jersey. Retrieved July 11, 2026.

[13] "Public Health Nursing | Elizabeth, NJ". www.elizabethnj.org. Retrieved July 11, 2026.

[14] "Office on Aging | Elizabeth, NJ". www.elizabethnj.org. Retrieved July 11, 2026.

[15] "New Timeline". The Historical Society of Elizabeth. Retrieved July 11, 2026.

[16] "Elizabeth Public Library". www.elizpl.org. Retrieved July 11, 2026.

[17] "Adult Classes – Elizabeth Public Library". www.elizpl.org. Retrieved July 11, 2026.

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