| El
Reno Carnegie Library |
| Contributed
by Debbie Elmenhorst
|
1897 |
The
local Athenaeum Club began work on a petition for a public library
in
El Reno. The current reading room occupied two rooms rented
for $17.50 a month at 219 S. Bickford. |
| 1902 |
On April
2nd the El Reno City Council passed an ordinance creating a
public library and reading room. Professor E. D. Cave was the
first librarian with a salary of $25.00 a month. |
| 1903 |
On January
7th a total of 913 books were inventoried by the new public
library. |
| 1904 |
On January
28th a grant from Andrew Carnegie for $12,500 was awarded
to the city of El Reno. The city had to furnish the site and
pledge $1,250 per year for expenses. Texas Smith & Moore
Co. were chosen as architects for the new building. |
| 1905 |
Dedication
of the third Carnegie Library built in Oklahoma Territory was
held on June 14th. 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. |
| 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. |
| 1927 |
The second
floor auditorium was converted to the juvenile department. The
stage, formerly used for high school graduations, was walled
off. |
| 1929 |
A fire
escape was installed from the second floor and coal furnaces
were
converted to gas. Due to an outbreak of a contagious disease,
books taken from infected homes were burned. |
| 1942 |
The local
Elks Lodge presented the library with a flag pole on Flag Day. |
| 1944 |
Library
books were catalogued and withdrawn books were donated to Booker
T. Washington School. |
| 1947 |
A new roof
was added to the building. Mrs. Horton, children’s librarian,
held the fourth largest summer reading program in the state. |
| 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. |
| 1963 |
The Edna
Mae Armold Archives was built 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in collecting and preserving historical documents, photographs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. |
| 1974-1975 |
Staff expansion
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. |
| 1980 |
Through
a grant from the Mary K. Ashbrook Foundation, the reference
room and meeting room were built. The cost of the addition was
$50,000.
The El Reno Carnegie Library was placed on the National Register
of Historic Places. |
| 1997 |
Local carpenter,
Gary Steinbrook, built a new adult circulation desk. The
old desk built in 1910 was placed in the Canadian County museum.
The library staff continued to create an audio book collection. |
| 1998 |
A benefit
golf tournament and community dinner was held to raise funds
for a new library roof. Money was also raised for new carpet
in both the children’s and adult departments. |
| 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. |
| 2000 |
Library
staff has chosen to purchase Athena automation software for
circulation and public access catalog.
Local carpenter, Gary Steinbrook, built a new circulation desk
for the children’s department. |
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