| McAlester
Public Library |
| Contributed
by Margaret Collins, Christopher Elliott, Linda Haile, Fran
Harris, Ann McAfee, and Anita Ross. |
| 1904 |
Ladies
of the Fortnightly Club move to start a library. The people
of
McAlester help with book donations (including staging a play
in which admission was a book), and the ladies themselves donate
the furniture. |
| 1905 |
On April
7th the library opens on the second floor of the Kellogg building
on
Choctaw Avenue with 750 volumes. The library is staffed by volunteers.
Later that year the library moves to a bigger space donated
by J. J. McAlester. The budget for the library is provided by
donations, memberships and social events. The city council of
McAlester soon approves of a monthly appropriation of $35 (which
was soon increased to $50). |
| 1907 |
On January
22nd the need for a paid full time librarian is apparent and
the club hires Mrs. Phoebe E. Hayden for the job of librarian. |
| 1910 |
In Spring
the J. J. McAlester building is sold forcing the library to
move to
a new spot, which is provided by Colonel William Busby. The
library is now located in the checkroom of the Busby Theater.
The club realizes that a permanent building is needed and looks
into a grant from Andrew Carnegie.
A grant for $25,000 is approved by Andrew Carnegie for the erection
of a new library building on the condition that a suitable site
is found. One is soon found at a cost of $3,500 but there is
no money to pay for it. Between 1911 and 1912, the club solicits
$1 donations from the population to raise the money. (The donation
book is still around.) The city council appoints the first library
board of six members – four men and two women. |
| 1913 |
On May
30th groundbreaking and the laying of the cornerstone which
bears the names of the library board. Events include a parade. |
| 1914 |
The library
is dedicated on April 16th and opens to the public. The
collection consists of 3,000 volumes, most of which are donations. |
| 1915-1916 |
Plans for
a small museum in the library are made. Through donations
of money and articles, one is set up in the east room of the
basement.
|
| 1928 |
The library
raises $1,600 for the purchase of an additional lot east of
the library for possible future expansion.
From September, 1928, to June 1929, due to a legal matter over
the collection of funds brought on by County governments versus
railroads, the library was without any government funding, including
salaries, until the matter could be settled. As a result, the
library relied solely on donations to keep open and Ms. Hayden
often worked for no pay. |
| 1932 |
The library
begins a program of providing books to the grade schools. Books
would be checked out by the schools (which at that time had
no libraries of their own) and returned at a latter date. The
program continued for several years, but died when most schools
began getting their own libraries. |
| 1933 |
Due to
an ill worded amendment to the Oklahoma Constitution (the “ad
valorem” amendment), the library is stripped of most of
its funding. Only due to some quick thinking by county officials
I the library allowed to remain open. |
| 1936 |
Ms. Hayden
dies unexpectedly on April 28th, the first and until then only
librarian McAlester has had. The library’s collection
consists of about 20,000 volumes. Mrs. Genevieve Pace, Assistant
Librarian since 1933, is named Head Librarian.
In December, Ms. Pace, through the help of donations, starts
the “rental shelf” which is to provide the current
best-selling reading material. It proves very popular, although
a small cost is charged for people to read these books. Also,
the first weeding of the collection takes pace, with some books
having not circulated in over 25 years. |
| 1939 |
A renovation
of the library takes place. A new lighting system is installed
and the building is redecorated. Most of the money used is from
a fund left by one of the original library board members. |
| 1942 |
In July
Ms. Pace resigns as head librarian and is replaced by Mrs. Andy
Gravitt, a teacher. |
| 1943 |
The library
card catalog was redone. Handwritten and often hard to read
cards were replaced by typewritten and easier to read cards.
From 1943 to 1945 the library participated in a program to donate
books to the local prisoner of war camp. |
| 1949 |
McAlester
celebrates its Golden Anniversary. The library’s budget
stands at $7,000 a year and the collection contains 28,000 volumes.
Specific collections start to be formed including “The
Memorial Shelf”, “The Primer Shelf”, “The
Garden Club Shelf”, “A Teenage Corner”, “Parents’
Book Shelf” as well as many others. |
| 1950 |
A brief
First National Bank / 4-H book donation program takes place
at the library, but proves unfeasible and is dropped. |
| 1959 |
In the
autumn, Mrs. Gavitt resigns as head librarian. By then the
collection totals 32,600 volumes and circulation is at 50,000
volumes per year. Mrs. Felicia Dwyer, assistant librarian since
1937, becomes the new head librarian. |
| 1960 |
Air conditioning
is installed. Talk for a separate children’s area and
the hiring of a children’s librarian is proposed. New
charging desk is installed replacing the original. |
| 1964 |
The city
council passes a resolution giving authorization to study the
possibility of expanding into a multi-county library. |
| 1965 |
The downstairs
museum is closed due to a general overhaul of the
collection. |
| 1967 |
On September
12th voters approve a bond issue to build a new library building.
With this comes the formation of the Choctaw Nation Multi-County
Library System, consisting of libraries in Pittsburg, Haskell,
Latimer and Leflore counties. It passes by a 3 to 1 margin.
John Hinkle is named first system director. |
| 1968 |
Construction
begins on the new library building on June 29th.
OTIS, providing inter-library loan on a much more impressive
and faster scale, is introduced. Choctaw Nation Multi-County
Library System is named a “hub site” and the McAlester
Public Library quickly makes use of the new feature. |
| 1970 |
On May
9th the new library building is dedicated and opens. Events
include a supplement extra in the local paper and an impressive
ceremony. |
| 1977 |
Felicia
Dwyer resigns as Head Librarian and is replaced by Lori Camp. |
| 1982 |
The City
of McAlester transfers the payroll of all library staff to Choctaw
Nation Multi-County Library System.
On August 10th the old Carnegie McAlester Library building is
torn down. A clinic is built in its place. |
| 1986 |
The Choctaw
Nation Multi-County Library System changes its name to the
Southeastern Public Library System of Oklahoma (SEPLSO for short)
to better describe its purpose. The old name cased confusion
as many people thought the system was run by the Choctaw Nation. |
| 1987 |
Lori Camp,
Head Librarian, is removed by system director, Bradley Simon.
She is replaced by Stephen Thomas, the first professional to
hold the position. |
| 1988 |
Bradley
Simon is removed as director of SEPLSO, and is replaced by Stephen
Thomas, Head Librarian of McAlester. Evelyn McWaters, reference
librarian, is named Head Librarian at McAlester. |
| 1991 |
Stephen
Thomas resigns as SEPLSO executive director in order to take
a new job in Colorado. Yvonne Wallis is named acting director.
In an effort to provide library service to isolated areas in
the SEPLSO service area, an information center is placed in
Battiest in McCurtain County. Still running today, the place
provides information services t othe area where the nearest
public library is 40 miles away. |
| 1992 |
Wayne Hanway
becomes SEPLSO’s executive director in January.
From March, 1992 to April 1995, in an effort to move towards
automation, SEPLSO does a library by library inventory of all
books and materials. This is the first inventory done by the
system. Stretching over two years, the inventory begins at Talihina
Public Library and ends at Buckley Public Library in Poteau. |
| 1993 |
In August,
desiring to move to Nevada, Evelyn McWaters resigns as Head
Librarian. Assistant Librarian, Linda Thompson, assumes duties
temporarily until a replacement is hired.
In November Debra Bailey becomes Head Librarian. |
| 1995 |
Citing
personal problems, Debra Bailey resigns as Head Librarian.
Assistant librarian, Linda Thompson, assumes duties temporarily
until a replacement is hired.
In August Judith Brown is hired as Head Librarian, only the
second
professional librarian to assume the post. |
| 1997 |
In January
the Puterbaugh Foundation approves a $25,000 grant for the purchase
and installation of a library security system to help prevent
theft of books and other library items. This was a major problem
hindering library collection development.
In February Pittsburg county voters reject a two mill levy increase
by only 150 votes. While the city of McAlester passes the measure
by a vote of nearly 2 to 1, voters in rural areas reject it.
Five of the seven SEPLSO counties approve the two mill increase. |
| 1998 |
In January
Valliant becomes SEPLSO’s fifteenth full library. At present
SEPLSO is comprised of 15 libraries, 3 reading centers and 1
information center. |
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