Library and Ladies Free Reading Room on the Bay

Library and Ladies' Free Reading Room
on the Bay (1908)

Library and Ladies' Free Reading Room on the Bay

Location: Miami, Florida, USA

Opened/Closed: c. 1908

The City of Miami’s library was founded by the Ladies’ Afternoon Club, later the Woman’s Club of Miami. Its purpose, we are loftily informed, was “reading and the discussion of literature.” By 1905, the Club was trying to provide a public reading room for its collection of books. The Club had no permanent home and for a number of years the reading room moved from place to place, as often as six times in a single year.

So it appears that the Library and Ladies' Free Reading Room on the Bay was one of those temporary homes. It was not until 1913 that the Miami Women’s Club had its own building at the corner of what is now Southeast Second Avenue and Flagler Street (then Avenue B and Twelfth Street).

Forget your modern library. I want this one! What else could you possibly need in life? You have sand, sea, and sunshine--along with books and all kinds of literate ladies to share them with. Sounds like my idea of paradise!