J. Erik Jonsson Central Library
The J. Erik Jonsson Central Library is the Main Library Branch of the Dallas Public Library system. It is located at 1515 Young Street in the Government District of downtown Dallas, Texas, directly across from Dallas City Hall.
About
The structure was built to replace the Old Dallas Central Library. The new structure consists of ten stories, eight stories above ground floor and two below ground floor, designed in the modernist architectural style. The design of the nearby Dallas City Hall inspired the design of the library – the library's upper floors are oriented away from Young Street while (symmetrically) the upper floors of City Hall are oriented toward Marilla Street (an open area between Young and Marilla Streets separates the buildings).
It was named for J. Erik Jonsson, a founder of Texas Instruments and mayor of Dallas, and long-time sympathetic supporter and patron of the library system. He also led the ten-year drive to raise private funds that allowed the construction of a state-of-the-art main library.
During the 2000s the library embarked on a long-range renovation program which will reorganize each floor's layout, update interior finishes, repair maintenance issues and overall create a more inviting experience.
Collections
Downtown Branch (1st Floor)
- Fiction
- Non-fiction
- Audio Books
- Large print
- Magazines
Youth Discovery Center (2nd Floor)
- Resources for children ages 18 and under and their families
- 16,500 square feet of public space
- 125,000 books, audiobooks, CDs and DVDs
- Early Learning System touch-screen computers providing 35 educational and entertaining games for 2 - 12-year-olds
- 6 Internet PCs
- WiFi access
- Apple iPads
- Experiential Learning Area for hands-on projects
- Puppet Stage
- Chalk walls for poetry and artistic expression
Literature, Language & Religion (3rd Floor)
- General Information (Research, Information, the Book, Library Science, Journalism, Biography)
- Philosophy (Classical, Eastern, Medieval, Renaissance, Modern, Logic, Ethics)
- Religion and Mythology (Bible, Buddhism, Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Other World Religions, Comparative Religion, Greek, Roman, and other Mythologies, Astrology, Witchcraft, UFOs, and other Paranormal Phenomena, Folklore, Language (Linguistics and Philology, Dictionaries, Grammars, Learning and Study Guides, Phrase Books in dozens of Foreign Languages, ESL (English as a second language) and Sign Language)
- Literature (Writing, Literary Criticism, Poetry, Plays, Shakespeare)
- Fiction (Adult Fiction, Science Fiction, Local Authors, Spanish, World Languages)
Art, Movies & Music (4th Floor)
- Visual Arts, Music, & Performing Arts
- DVD and CD collection
- Large Print Collection
- Printed Sheet Music
- Graphic Novels
Business, Science & Technology (5th Floor)
- Business, Technology, Science and Medicine Research
- Oil & Gas special collection
- Cookbooks
- Gardening
- Car Repair Manuals
City Life, Education & Work Skills (6th Floor)
- Census Demographics
- U.S. Federal Documents
- Job Search, Resumes & Test Guides
- Culture, Community & Social Movements
- Grant and Non-profit Fundraising Resources
- Social Science, Political Science & Government Information
- Patents, Trademarks & Copyright Information
- Information about Urban Issues
- Taxes, Immigration & Government Information
Dallas History & Archives (7th Floor)
- Historic Photographs, Map, and Directories
- Yearbooks, Oral Histories, and Postcards
- Manuscript Collections
- Texana Book Collection
- Newspaper Archive
- JFK Collection
- Rare Books
- Collectible Books
- Original U.S. Declaration of Independence. Thomas Jefferson, (1743-1826) July 4, 1776
- Original Shakespeare's First Folio. William Shakespeare, (1564-1616) 1623 - Gift of the Dallas Shakespeare Club
Genealogy & History (8th Floor)
- U.S. and World Genealogy Collection
- Free access to Ancestry.com
- U.S. and World History Collection
- Biographies