I may not be a bona fide history nut—I certainly don’t know who was the fourth King of England—but I can spend hours poring over photographs and historical accounts of places I’m familiar with in present-day. Take the Parkway Central Library for example—there’s a certain level of nostalgia and intrigue that surrounds the history of a library, and Parkway Central doesn’t fall short. As media and technology (and the way we access them) evolve throughout the years, so does our Library.

Explore history hands-on and roam the halls of Parkway Central Library. Many departments display photographs of the original space, allowing visitors to study the differences that have shaped the departments over the years. I recommend starting your self-guided tour with a stop in Philbrick Popular Library, a bustling room full of new releases, DVDs, and popular literature. Then check out the "then and now" poster that shows the room how it once was—a sparse periodical space with dozens of heavy metal tables and chairs!

For a historical account without walking the halls, visit the digital collections the Free Library developed to celebrate the building’s 75th anniversary in 2002. Choose from blueprints, photographs, a timeline, and more in the 75th anniversary archives and explore the Parkway Central of the early 20th century.