Evelyn Richardson has been a major player in the history of Logan County Public Library ever since the library which is being vacated this week opened in 1967, first as regional librarian and then as a daily volunteer in the two decades since her retirement, including over two years as acting librarian. This is the final segment of a four-part series on the history of the library, which she completed a year ago. A new chapter begins this Monday, Feb. 3, when the library opens in its beautiful new location on Armory Drive in North Russellville.
To read the first three segments of this history on The LoJo, go to January Guest Articles.
The LoJo
When interest was developing to create an up-to-date public library to serve Logan County, the topic often came up for discussion in many circles.
At this time, in the mid-1960s, a group of educators and community leaders regularly gathered at Felts Restaurant in Russellville for coffee and/or more. Informal conversations among this group no doubt influenced important business and governmental decisions that eventually came about.
Al Smith, local newspaper editor and publisher, was regularly in this circle. Here he had his ear to the ground for news and views and he also used these influential people as a forum for ideas. Al had committed to the library project as something extremely worthwhile that he would wholeheartedly support, so when it came up for discussion, he both spoke and listened.
Al learned that H. Stanford ‘Chick’ Ray, a businessman known by just about everyone in the county, was opposed to a library. As his nickname suggests, Mr. Ray dealt with farmers, buying and selling chickens and associated products. As property owners, the farmers were opposed to increased taxes, and Mr. Ray was on “their side.” Al saw that he would need to change Mr. Ray’s mind, and influence, if a tax was to be passed.
Mr. Ray was a trader of many things and had become a gun enthusiast. Al knew that. Through his connections, Al requested on loan some gun collecting books from the State Library. Two or three nice pictorial and informational books were sent and Al passed them along to Mr. Ray.
The story goes that when Mr. Ray examined the books he responded, “You mean to tell me that today’s libraries have books like this?!” (as opposed, he might have thought, to nothing but romantic novels for “little old ladies” to read). No doubt, Al responded with a resounding “Yes” and probably mentioned examples of other books of merit on other subjects as well.
Mr. Ray was sold. He began to speak for the establishment of a library, and in turn urged his friends and customers to do the same. It cannot be determined how important his influence was but it is believed to have been significant.
Mr. Ray’s turnaround was reflected in his being appointed to the original Library Board of Trustees in 1966 and was even elected its president. On the day of Grand Opening, Aug. 6, 1967, his two grandsons, Jim and Charlie, ages twelve and nine respectively, ceremoniously checked out the first two books from the new library.
Whether those borrowed firearm books were ever returned to the State Library, we do not know. State Library personnel were so eager to get libraries started throughout the state at that time that if books were lost in the converting of a non-supporter, they assuredly would have responded, “Money well spent!”
Literacy/Adult Ed
The Literacy/Adult Education/Workforce Training/English as a Second Language/ and Family Literacy Program has been the ultimate in collaboration projects of Logan County Public Library.
In the early 1980s, the Kentucky Department of Libraries (name later changed to Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives) strongly urged regional librarians to encourage public libraries to take the lead in establishing literacy councils. These councils would sponsor a volunteer program of teaching adults to read.
In the summer of 1983, Regional Librarian Evelyn Richardson arranged a two-day literacy workshop for the BRADD region. Representatives from the libraries attended to learn the basics of how to go about teaching adults to read and how to coordinate such a program. This led to literacy councils being established in all 10 counties. Teaching was soon underway, with much of the one-on-one tutoring taking place in libraries.
Logan County Library enthusiastically supported the Literacy Program from its beginning, providing space for tutoring and Council meetings and by having a staff representative to serve on the Council. In July 1985,13 active tutors and students were meeting. By October 1986, there were 33 students. Lois Brown replaced Neva Flowers as Logan County Coordinator. Gloria Costelow, regional office employee, began extra part-time work in August 1986 handling the duties that a county coordinator would have with literacy. Jan Hammerstone resigned as literacy coordinator Sept. 17, 1990.
The program rapidly and dramatically evolved, requiring a full-time Program Manager and staff that continued to be housed in the library. Cheryl Kelley began work as Program Manager Nov. 1, 1990 and has for more than 20 years led the program to an award-winning service for hundreds of adults and their families. In July 1998, the Logan County School Board became the controlling body of the literacy program.
As the program expanded, the library’s space became severely inadequate to house it. The library’s usage growth also was demanding more space. Library Director Linda Kompanik and the Library Board hired architect Jeff Pearson (Pearson & Peters Architects PLC, Lexington) to develop plans for converting the old Walmart building on West 9th Street for both services to occupy. Complications with the building’s ownership caused cancellation of this plan.
In 2008, the Library Board purchased a 5.43-acre lot off Armory Drive. Pearson proceeded to draw plans for a new facility that would house both services. The economic downslide eliminated grants that previously had been available for such construction, and the building project was temporarily tabled.
A house next door west of the library came up for sale and the Library Board voted to purchase it to house Literacy and to create some parking spaces behind. Again, opposing factors led to cancellation of this plan.
With the library’s need for additional space, and especially additional parking space, the Library Board made the tough decision no longer to house the Literacy Program. It would be up to the Logan County School System to find housing after June 30, 2010. The program operated from the Baptist Building on West 3rd Street in Russellville until the old Extension Service building on Spring Street was secured. The library’s technical services department then occupied the space that was first the regional office and then home to the literacy program.
Gifts
The library has been generously supported by many people in the community through its history.
Only a few of these gifts are selected to describe.
A glass showcase for exhibits and a free-standing speaker’s stand were placed in the library by Mr. and Mrs. Jesse Riley Jr. in 1981 in memory of Jim Lyne. A smaller lighted glass showcase was donated by the family of Amanda Morrison, who had worked at the library on a part-time basis and died at age 18 in 2010.
At her death, Sophie Lashbrook, who served on the Board of Trustees, willed to the library six bird prints by the widely recognized Kentucky artist Ray Harm. They have hung in the deGraffenried Room. Mrs. Lashbrook was one of the Public Library Committee women who raffled a table in 1940 that brought $9.10 to open the first library account.
The only known portrait of Thomas P. deGraffenried was unveiled at the Grand Opening of the library on Aug.6, 1967. It was painted by Baltimore artist Frank Ryan, brother-in-law of Ross Dowden, manager of the Western Auto store in Russellville for a number of years. Mr. Ryan was provided a photograph of Mr. deGraffenried that included another man whose identity is unknown. Mr. deGraffenried was holding his hat in his hand. For the portrait, Mr. Ryan appropriately substituted a book in his right hand, knowing that the portrait would hang in the Logan County Public Library. Cost of the portrait was paid from the City of Russellville’s deGraffenried fund.
Also in the deGraffenried Room has been a print by Glenn Robertson of the Southern Bank of Kentucky building that housed the library for more than 20 years. It was given by the artist and the Miter Box Gallery framing shop. Another copy of this print was given in memory of H. Stanford “Chick” Ray Sr., first president of the Logan County Public Library Board of Trustees, 1966-67.
The Younger Woman’s Club presented a lighted globe to the library in 1969. A tabletop speaker’s stand was placed in the library in memory of George Marion Bailey. who served as a library trustee from 1966 to 1976.
A portrait of the late Mrs. J. Wells Vick, painted by Jane Love, was hung in the genealogy section in recognition of her extensive family history research. This was a gift from Joyce Vick Guion in 1983. The Duplicate Bridge Club that routinely met at the library purchased a cassette player/recorder in memory of J. Granville Clark in 1986.
Rena Milliken purchased a filing cabinet to house historical materials that she gave to the library and also made a $10,000 bequest in May1994.
The Girl Scouts erected a “Peace Post” on the front lawn of the library in November 1996.
The Dec. 14, 2004 minutes record that Mathilde Perry had willed $200,000 to the library. The Board decided to create a “Capital Account” with this money and add all memorials made for her and Bess Martin.
Frances Cooper, retired Logan County school teacher, generously gave the library $50,000 in 2011. Plans for a new library facility were being discussed, and she felt that the library was a partner in education that she wanted to support. She wanted no wide publicity about her gift. Her name appears on an Honors Plaque, presented by Bill and Nancy Guion, upon the death of their daughter, Susan Guion Johnson, in 1985, that includes names of donors who have made a lump sum donation of $500 or more to the library. The plaque hangs in the public area of the library.
Policies
For lack of a better title, this POLICIES chapter presents a random overview of operational changes that have come to pass as the library adapted its services to meet community needs. Additional policies, and some duplication of what is written here, appear in other chapters.
Original hours open, beginning Aug. 7, 1967, were 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Monday and Tuesday; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday.
In May 1968, the Board voted to employ a college student for the summer to supplement staffing, especially to help with Summer Reading Program. Janice Carter (Humble) got this policy off to a good start. Some outstanding young people filled this role in years to come, and government-funded summer youth employment programs also came along under which students were placed in the library for jobs.
An automatic checkout system was installed in the summer of 1971 and was well received by patrons. Their library card, bearing a small metal plate with their personal ID number, was inserted into a Gaylord charging machine, eliminating the need for them to sign their name on a card for each book that they checked out.
The Board proposed Sunday afternoon hours for a trial period in the winter months of January and February of 1974, 2–6 p.m. Evening hours were cut to one night only, Monday, to offset this added expense in the budget. Thirty-four patrons came in the first Sunday, Jan. 7, and the library was so well patronized that Sunday hours continued year round and are still popular. Hours were soon adjusted to 2:00-5:00 as they currently remain.
Logan County elected to do all of its book processing in 1978, accepting State KDLA grants to buy books instead of having them purchased and processed in Frankfort. A new IBM typewriter was purchased for this purpose.
Overdue fines were abolished in June 1978 because of the time consumed and opportunity for error in monitoring the process, resulting in negative public relations. They were reinstated Jan. 2, 1996—five cents per day on written and recorded materials, $1 per day on videos.
Staffing was supplemented with persons employed under the CETA program in the 1970s. This governmental program ended Sept. 30, 1979 and the Board had to assume paying the salaries, placing a strain on the budget for which they had not prepared.
An outside book drop was installed on the porch at the west entrance of the library in November 1982.
The April 22, 1985 Board minutes state: “A computer might be a desirable purchase for the library.” One was purchased and staff were being trained in July. It was to be used mainly for controlling overdue records.
In February 1992, the Board voted for the library to be smoke free except for restrooms and the hallway. In March of the next year, 1993, the smoking policy was revised to “No Smoking” anywhere in the library.
A Financial Trust was established in February 1994 into which gifts to the library were deposited. Interest earned would be used for maintenance and repair of the building and furnishings.
Beginning May 13, 1996, longer hours were put into effect: 9 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday; and 2 p.m.-5 p.m. on Sunday. These hours open have not changed since that time.
The Activity Room was converted into the Children’s Room in November 1999. It was voted by the Board in April 2007 to close the deGraffenried meeting room to public meetings and make it the genealogy and research room including a bank of six computers. This left the library without any meeting room. Programs had to be conducted out in the main library and Board and committee meetings were held in the small room originally used for storage adjacent to the office of the Director.
Epilogue
Without question, the greatest change that the library has experienced in its almost half century history is the broad cross section of users who come through its doors. The library is accepted as the place that you go to find help, no longer a place just for deep research or to check out pleasure novels. By actively assessing the public’s needs and responding with services, the library has become a welcoming community center.
Resisted at first was the offering of paperbacks and videos. They were quickly accepted and we have moved through and beyond to DVDs and e-books.
We thought that we had reached the ultimate in information and entertainment when in 1967 we acquired a 16mm projector and could order free movies to show to school groups and clubs. Filmstrips were a close second best for visual programs. Audio tapes soon gave way to CDs. And today we are in the computer world that challenges all past technology.
In April 1967, pine and poplar seedlings were distributed from the library, still located at that time in the old Southern Bank of Kentucky building at Sixth and Main. Today we distribute income tax forms from computer databases.
In the early days, we checked out framed paintings; today we check out baskets for the ease of carrying materials home.
There is no way to visualize new developments in the field of library services that are yet around the corner. We do know from Logan County Public Library’s history that the committed administration and staff will be ready to receive them and make them available for the benefit of all the citizens.
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Excavation on the site of the new library building off Armory Drive got underway in December 2012 and construction is on schedule as this history is being written. A modern facility designed to offer services in the most efficient way has been planned. Space for adequate parking, our greatest need, will be available with plenty of room to expand. We look forward with excitement to this upcoming chapter in the proud history of Logan County Public Library.
This History of Public Library Service in Logan County, Kentucky, 1925-2012 is far from a comprehensive work. Persons interested in the library have felt that a history of some sort needed to be compiled, and we began collecting material for this project in January 2011. After two years of note taking and assembling, I submit this writing as a labor of love.
Libraries are good at keeping records. It was easy, though time consuming, to review documents and pull out information to compile. Major sources were Woman’s Club minutes, minutes of all regular monthly and special meetings of the Library Board of Trustees, annual reports, scripts of library radio programs, newspaper articles, entries in the personal daily diary of Evelyn Richardson, and miscellaneous pieces of material kept in library files for reference. Deciding what to choose from these detailed documents to write here was the hardest part, as we often hear writers say.
These sources are still available for anyone to peruse when more information is needed or desired. An effort has been made to include dates in the body of the work that would be a guide to deeper research.
My thanks to library staff, former trustees, and others who have been associated with the library for answering my often repeated questions as I slowly developed this history.
My hope is that this modest history will be useful to both the casual reader and to the person who needs specific information about this vital service to the people of Logan County.
Evelyn Richardson
Retired Regional Librarian, Barren River Region
Library Volunteer