The local Athenaeum Club began work on a petition for a public library in El Reno in 1897. The current reading room occupied two rooms rented for $17.50 a month at 219 S. Bickford. The El Reno City Council passed an ordinance creating a public library and reading room on April 2, 1902. Professor E. D. Cave was the first librarian with a salary of $25.00 a month. On January 7, 1903 a total of 913 books were inventoried by the new public library. A grant from Andrew Carnegie for $12,500 was awarded to the city of El Reno on January 28, 1904. The city had to furnish the site and pledge $1,250 per year for expenses. Texas Smith & Moore Co. was chosen as architects for the new building and the building contract was awarded to A. C. Kripke of El Reno. Dedication of the third Carnegie Library built in Oklahoma Territory was held on June 14, 1905. The upstairs auditorium was fitted with 300 mahogany chairs complete with hat racks and foot rests. Miss Anna Hall was the first librarian in the new building.
In 1921 Miss Lorna Teuscher held a story hour on Wednesday evenings with 75 to 100 people in attendance. Roof repairs and redecoration were made this year. The second floor auditorium was converted to the juvenile department in 1927 and the stage, formerly used for high school graduations, was walled off. A fire escape was installed from the second floor and coal furnaces were converted to gas in 1929. Due to an outbreak of a contagious disease, books taken from infected homes were burned.
The local Elks Lodge presented the library with a flag pole on Flag Day in 1942. In 1944 library books were catalogued and withdrawn books were donated to Booker T. Washington School. A new roof was added to the building in 1947 and Mrs. Horton, children’s librarian, held the fourth largest summer reading program in the state. In 1950 interior painting and redecoration was completed with the addition of sidewalks. Two years later similar repairs had to be made due to an earthquake.
The Edna Mae Armold Archives was built in 1963 with funds from a bond issue. Cost of the structure was $54,000. Mrs. Armold was instrumental in collecting and preserving historical documents, photographs and papers concerning El Reno and Canadian County. Mrs. Armold spent eleven years as the children’s librarian, fifteen years as the head librarian and one year as a consultant. Staff expansion in 1974-1975 resulted in the creation of an assistant librarian position. Martha Mulanax moved from children’s librarian to the head librarian position. Dianne Costin became the new assistant. Through a grant from the Mary K. Ashbrook Foundation, the reference room and meeting room were built in 1980. The cost of the addition was $50,000. Also in 1980 the El Reno Carnegie Library was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Local carpenter, Gary Steinbrook, built a new adult circulation desk in 1997. The old desk built in 1910 was placed in the Canadian County museum. Also in 1997 the library staff continued to create an audio book collection. A benefit golf tournament and community dinner was held in 1998 to raise funds for a new library roof. Money was also raised for new carpet in both the children’s and adult departments. In 1999 the El Reno Carnegie Library was a recipient of the Gates Foundation Grant resulting in the addition of four computer workstations, printer and server. Each computer has internet access through a 56K digital connection. In 2000 library staff chose to purchase Athena automation software for circulation and public access catalog and local carpenter, Gary Steinbrook, built a new circulation desk for the children’s department. Also in 2000 Trent Gibson donated time and materials in the creation of a garden on the southwest section of the library lawn as his Eagle Scout project.
In memory of their parents, Bill and Greta Blanton donated new front entry doors for the library in 2002.The new construction was based on the design of the original entrance doors. New brick and concrete sidewalks with period lamp posts were also added at that time. In 2005 the library staff celebrated the 100th birthday of the El Reno Carnegie Library building. The library was honored with Oklahoma House Resolution #1027 and was featured on News Channel 4’s “Is This a Great State?” with Galen Culver. Friends of the El Reno Carnegie Library published a cookbook now it it’s third printing. Included in the book is a history of the library and past librarians as well as many of the contributing cooks.
Contributed by Debbie Elmenhorst
February 16, 2006
Top
