DENVER - On Monday, the Denver Public Library turned 125.
The state's largest public library system has more than 4.3 million in-person visits and 9.8 million items circulated annually.
In the mid-1800s, as the silver boom brought more wealth — and people — to town, residents looked to shed their Wild West past and transform the town into a regional destination for goods, services and culture.
To help bring culture to the young town, the Denver Library Association opened a "reading room" in 1874 at the corner of 16th and Lawrence streets, which supported library collections by selling membership fees.
The organizers of that reading room dreamed of a local library.
More than a century later, the Denver Public Library boasts 25 locations across Denver, including the flagship Central Library at East 14th Avenue and Broadway.
An official birthday celebration will be held in September in conjunction with the library's launch of its new Volume Denver website where customers can discover, download and stream music from local Denver artists.
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