On December 12, 2025, the staff of the Richardson-Sloane Special Collections Center celebrated their new space on the second floor with an open house. Many wonderful guests joined us in marking this momentous event for the Richardson-Sloane Special Collections Center. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
From a single room on the first floor in 1982, the Special Collections\u2019 original location, Special Collections expanded after years of effort and dedication. In 1999, the creation of the lower-level space fulfilled Alice (Richardson) and Ted Sloane\u2019s dream of a \u201cpremiere genealogy and local history collection.” In this space, staff served patrons for twenty-five years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now the Richardson-Sloane Special Collections Center embarks on a new chapter in its history. It has a bright future as the Davenport Public Library\u2019s source for local history and genealogical information. The Center and its staff are well-known for helping researchers from all over the world, assisting City of Davenport personnel, and providing reference and resource material to Quad-City patrons of all ages. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Davenport Public Library’s Board of Trustees president, Tom Englemann, and the Davenport Public Library’s Director, Jeff Collins, shared a few remarks about the Main Library’s recent renovations, which began in 2020.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Special Collections staff invited former Quad Cities Poet Laureate, Dale Haake, to recite his poem, “Tally-Ho Coach,\u201d written for RSSCC\u2019s 20th anniversary celebration in 2019. We have recorded this recitation for your viewing pleasure! <\/p>\n\n\n\n
We wish you all the very best holiday season! We encourage you all to come visit us in our new space! <\/p>\n\n\n\n