Wilkes-Barre in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
E. S. Farley Library
Remembering Agnes: 50 Years After The Flood
— Walking Tour Stop 4 —
During Wilkes College's early years, the library was housed on the third floor of Kirby Hall. However, with growing collections and a need for a larger space, the new library was constructed with the assistance of almost 500 share plan donors and 1,565 other donors. The building cost $1,500,000 and was completed in Summer 1968 and dedicated in November of the same year. The Board of Trustees named the library in honor of Wilkes' first president, Eugene Shedden Farley. It has four special collections rooms dedicated to significant Wilkes community members such as Admiral Harold R. Stark, Eleanor Farley, attorney Gilbert Stuart McClintock, and a Polish room dedicated to the Polish immigrants in the area.
After Hurricane Agnes, the library sustained $1,396,000.00 in damages, including 58,000 volumes of serials, shelving, carpeting, basement furniture, and the entire treasure room of rare books, which were housed in the basement. The Sordoni construction company was hired to clean the basement, using a tractor that removed mud, damaged shelving, and all the destroyed book collections. In the months and years after the flood, the library received numerous book donations from out of state libraries, companies, and alumni far and wide, accumulating over thousands of books to replenish their holdings. It has taken decades to bring Farley library's monograph and serial collections up to present-day curriculum standards and this would not have been possible without the hard work and dedication of former librarians who worked at Farley Library and of our current Technical Services and Electronic Resources departments.
Erected 2022 by Wilkes University.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music • Disasters • Education. A significant historical year for this entry is 1968.
Location. 41° 14.654′ N, 75° 53.327′ W. Marker is in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, in Luzerne County. Marker is near the library's main entrance, facing the Wilkes University campus green. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 187 South Franklin Street, Wilkes Barre PA 18701, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. John Wilkes (a few steps from this marker); Stark Hall (within shouting distance of this marker); Veterans Memorial Court (within shouting distance of this marker); The Burns Alumni Tower and Carillon (within shouting distance of this marker); The Wilkes Labyrinth (within shouting distance of this marker); Chase Hall (within shouting distance of this marker); Kirby Hall (within shouting distance of this marker); John L. Lewis Speech (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Wilkes-Barre.
Also see . . .
1. E. S. Farley Library at Wilkes University. (Submitted on June 28, 2022, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)
2. 50th Anniversary of Hurricane Agnes (USGS). (Submitted on June 28, 2022, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)
Credits. This page was last revised on June 28, 2022. It was originally submitted on June 28, 2022, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. This page has been viewed 74 times since then and 16 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on June 28, 2022, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.