History:
The Pikesville Library, a Memorial to the men and women serving in the Armed Forces of the United States, had its beginning October 26, l944, when a group of interested citizens met in a public meeting to review a survey of various memorial proposals made by a special committee.
The library was set up in temporary quarters in the Odd Fellows Building at 1507 Reisterstown Road. It was opened to the public on September 16, l946. By the end of 1949, the library contained almost 9,000 books, of which 4,000 had been donated by the citizens of the community.
A parcel of ground at the Confederate Veteran's Home on Reisterstown Road was set aside by the State for a new library in 1945. In 1950, the Pikesville Health Center was conducting a campaign for funds and planning for the erection of a Health Center building. Brought together by the needs for a site and the possibility of economy in building costs, it was decided that the two groups should combine to build one structure. Edward Hofstetter, Pikesville architect, donated his services in drawing the plans for the building. The Library at 1111 Reisterstown Road was dedicated as a Memorial on Sunday, November 11, l951.
The current Pikesville Memorial Library moved to still larger quarters and opened on February 14, 1982. The library is located on the first level of the two-story Pikesville Community Center. The building, which also houses a senior center and a health center, was designed by Meyers and D'Aleo and constructed by Adam Zgorski, Incorporated. The library contains 18,000 square feet. It was one of the first of two full service facilities in the nation (both in Baltimore County) to be equipped completely with face-out display shelving for easy selection of books. It opened with a stock of 65,000 books and recordings, 107 periodicals and newspapers. In the first month the library circulated 35,165 items.
