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1961
Thanks to
Viola Reynolds and Wanda Donley, the original library in
Louisburg was a bookmobile loaned to the community by
the Johnson County Library System in June 1961. It was
parked north of the Louisburg Herald offices and staffed
by volunteers. During the first year,
7,229 books were loaned.
1965
After much volunteer labor and donations by businessmen
and the City of Louisburg, a small two-room house
located on Second Street behind the Fox Community Hall
became the Louisburg Community Library. It contained
2,000 donated volumes. A ˝
mill levy, sales of library cards, fines, and donations
provided operating funds and rent for trunks of new
books from the Topeka Library. The first interim board
was Newell R. Todd, Viola Reynolds and Joyce Meek. The
first librarian was Edna “Pip” Haynes, succeeded by
Villa Dunn.
1967
In
July, Library District No. 1 Miami County, was voted
into being, the first such district in Kansas. The
District boundaries are the same as the school district,
USD 416.
Among those instrumental in bringing this to pass were
John Heinen, Joe McGuirk, Walter Crotchett, Rev. Henry
Donelson, Joyce Meek, Bob and Viola Reynolds and Jack
Wempe. The former Rosner Ford showroom was the site.
Furniture was obtained from the State Library. Mrs.
Clara Nell German was librarian, assisted by Villa Dunn.
1978
A
fire partially destroyed the library. On January 1,
1979, the library moved into its present quarters at 206
South Broadway, the remodeled garage area of the
original Rosner Ford Company. The original
showroom/library was torn down.
2004
The library was renovated to
maximize the use of space and to create an ADA
accessible facility.
Louisburg Library is
a member
of the Northeast Kansas Library
System (NEKLS).
NEKLS provides direct
grants, consulting services, continuing education,
shared resource services and other support to member
libraries in a 14-county area of northeast Kansas. The
110 member libraries include public, school, academic
and special libraries of all types and sizes.
For more
information, check out
NEKLS today!
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