The Community and Library That Could!
(Photos below article)
The morning of Saturday, August 29, 1992, was sunny in Baldwin City, but something strange was going on. A line of about 200 people – children, teens, adults of all ages – stretched along the south side of High Street from Eighth to Seventh Street. And many of these people had a book in their hands! What was going on? This human chain was transferring more than 1000 books from the old library building at 803 High Street (current City Hall) to the new (current) library building at 800 Seventh Street! While the remaining thousands of library books would be transferred by truck, this human chain illustrated the ongoing, supportive relationship between the Baldwin community and its public library.
Community focus and support of the people of Baldwin City has been the driving force of the library since its inception in 1916. The idea for a community library started with a Baldwin citizen. Baker University Professor William Garrett spent a year on sabbatical with his family at Cambridge, Mass. While there, the family enjoyed the city’s children’s library. Prof. Garrett thought the children of Baldwin City would also enjoy such a library. Upon his return to Baldwin in 1915, he conferred with other BU faculty, the First Methodist Episcopal Church Sunday School Superintendent (who ran a reading program), and a representative of the women’s clubs of Baldwin. All agreed that a community library was a good idea.
Funds were contributed by each of these groups as well as by businessmen of Baldwin and others. A total of $223 was raised. Prof. Garrett was to select and order the books. The City Council voted that the library be located in the City Clerk’s office, and that the Clerk act as librarian (as a volunteer of course). On August 18, 1916, the library opened in the basement under The Peoples State Bank building at 801 High Street. The library had 75 books and was open one hour each day from 4-5 p.m. By October, 100 children were using the library which now contained 180 books. Another 50-60 new books were expected to be on the shelves by Christmas that year.
The community involvement and spirit of the library continued. In 1917, BU music faculty held a concert followed by a travel lecture as a fundraising event for the library. This event was quite popular and became an annual event for some time. Students and community groups also raised funds for the library. Baldwin public school teachers assisted with the selection of library books. The library was managed by an association comprised of representatives of various organizations – women’s clubs, businessmen, BU faculty, the M.E. Sunday School, school board, and City Council. By 1918, the library owned so many volumes that extra bookcases and room for expansion were needed. Anna Clark Jillison, assistant librarian at BU, volunteered to create the library’s first card catalogue.
In 1920, the library (and City Hall) was moved to a new building on the west side of the Light and Water Plant (about 607 High). The library contained over 700 books, now lining two walls. New books were displayed in the windows of Hardin’s Grocery (current location of Edward Jones). The City Council levied a 0.25 mill levy tax. In 1922, the tax was increased to 0.4 mill, which allowed for the hiring of Clara Davis Cleeblitt as librarian. The library could now be open 2 evenings a week, plus the afternoon hours.
By 1931, the number of books had increased, and they were stacked everywhere! The old stone People’s Bank building was renovated and became City Hall. An alcove on the south side of the building had shelving added, so the library now had space for its 2000 books and 889 patrons. It was now open 8 hours a week.
The library and its patronage continued to grow, and more space was needed. The community and library worked together again. By 1961, a $15,000 bond issue was passed, and additional funds were raised to build a new library. Leo Smith donated the land between his business (the current Bull Pen) and City Hall for the new building. In 1962, the new building was completed. The alcove that had previously been used as the library now became the Reading Room of the library.
By 1989, the library was again “bursting at the seams,” and the Library Board was looking at new locations. In 1991, a ½ cent sales tax passed for the building of a new library at 7th and High Streets. The building was completed, the human chain transferred books, and the new library opened in September 1992. By 2013, plans were made to expand this library space to again meet the needs of the community. Expansion was completed in 2014. Programs, technology, books, and more continue to be added to the Baldwin City Public Library’s catalogue each year. Stay tuned to see what comes next from this ongoing relationship between the library and the Baldwin community!
— Marta Jardon, 9/2023, Updated Jan. 2025
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- First printed in The Maple Weekly, (Baldwin’s weekly newspaper).
- Reprinted with permission.
- Learn more about the Baldwin City community – events, people, businesses, jobs, opportunities – a great place to live and grow!
- Subscribe to The Maple Weekly at https://baldwinmaple.com/the-maple-weekly/
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Photos
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