Post-War Boom

Columbus experienced enormous growth after World War II ended in 1945. Enrollment at The Ohio State University tripled and the population of Franklin County grew to over 500,000. More library branches were needed to serve the growing neighborhoods throughout Columbus. Six new branches opened between 1950 and 1959: Town & Country (which closed when the new Whitehall Branch opened in 1959), Eastside, Beechwold, Northern Lights, Hilltonia and Whitehall.

The 1950s also saw a surge of participants in Summer Reading Club as themes changed and programs became a regular part of promotion. In 1951, Summer Reading Club was extended to customers who accessed the library through the bookmobile.

Town and Country at Miracle Mile

The first library in the Whitehall area was the Town and Country Branch at 53 Town Rd. in the Town and Country Drive-In Shopping Center (Miracle Mile), one of the first shopping centers in America. It was replaced by the larger Whitehall Branch in 1959.

Bertha Campbell and Phyllis Buckner

Phyllis Buckner (left) and Bertha Campbell (right) of the Eastside Branch. Buckner was one of the first African American librarians hired at the library in 1953. In 1964 she was promoted to head librarian at the Franklinton Branch. Eastside was a precursor to the Martin Luther King Branch and was located on E. Long St.

Story Hour at Beechwold

After the Beechwold Branch opened in 1954 it became a model library, with other cities consulting the Columbus Public Library on plans and specifications. “Story Hour” at Beechwold drew large crowds from its earliest days, with reading, music and crafts as part of the program.

Hilltonia Branch

The Hilltonia Branch opened in 1959 as the Hilltop community outgrew the lone Hilltop library, one of the four original branches. Hilltonia served the west side until merging with a new 20,000 sq. ft. Hilltop branch in 1996.

First Northern Lights Branch

The northeast section of Columbus grew so quickly that one Linden Branch couldn’t keep pace with the population. Northern Lights Branch opened in the Northern Lights Shopping Center in 1956 and has expanded four times since then, growing from this 1,500 sq. ft. storefront to the current 26,000+ sq. ft. branch.