Library History

1901 – Group of earnest citizens of Bellefontaine were organized into the Board of Managers of the Bellefontaine Free Public Library. First library opened in the H. H. Good Building. Miss Lydia Canby, to whom goes the credit for organizing the Board of Managers donated a number of books to start the venture. Library Managers were forbidden to raise money by taxation therefore the group held ice cream socials and programs of dramatic and musical nature to raise the funds to maintain the library. Circulation during October was 1,503 with 764 cardholders and 1,009 persons visited the library.

1902 – A letter from Andrew Carnegie promising a sum of money for construction and furnishings of a library building was promised providing the Board could raise ten percent of the amount of the grant to maintain the library building.

1903 – Library Board of Managers tendered control of the library to the Bellefontaine Board of Education. A tax levy of .5 of a mill was carried with the school levy to finance the library until 1937. The amount of the revenue was $1,400 per year when it was first instituted.

1904 – Library was moved into two rooms on the first floor of the telephone building.

1905 – Library was moved into the new Carnegie building which was constructed for a bid of $11,720 after receiving a grant of $14,000 from Mr. Carnegie. Balance of $35.73 remained in the treasury after construction. Due to lack of funds for maintenance the library was closed for two periods of several weeks.

1932 – In September the library was closed and reopened in December.

1933 – In April the Library was closed again and reopened in September.

1937 – State code was revised, libraries became eligible for State Aid from the intangible tax. The library received about $13,000 per year from this source which is apportioned by the County Budget Commission composed of the county auditor, treasurer and prosecuting attorney.

1939 – Branches were opened in DeGraff, West Liberty and West Mansfield.

1948 – Became the Logan County District Library and library trustees were appointed by the Common Pleas Judge and the County Commissioners for a term of seven years. Statistics for library: 15,000 volumes; $13,956.00 in treasury and 28,512 people served.

1949 – Rushsylvania Branch was opened was opened for service to the community. Board adopted branch library policies.

1950 – Total volumes in library – 19,335 (13,662 adult & 5,673 juvenile); circulation total for main library – 39,008 and 22,245 branches with overall total – 61,253.

1952 – Another branch at East Liberty was opened.

1954 – Station wagon automobile was purchased for delivery of books to and from the branches. Circulation topped 100,000 mark for the first time.

1957 – Lakeview Branch was opened for service to the community. Gaylord Charging System went into effect.

1958 – First National Library was observed.

1959 – A bookmobile was purchased through a grant from the Ohio State Library and services were offered countywide. Board of Trustees accepted Trusteeship of the Susie Parker Scholarship Memorial Fund.

1960 – Total circulation 180,568 items.

1961 – First Story Hour session once a week for ages five to eight was offered with fifty children attending the first meeting. Circulation rose to 200,922.

1963 – Library board purchased the Wylie property located to the south of the library for $14,000 through a bank loan with three and one-half percent interest rate.

1971 – Joined the Western Ohio Regional Library Development System. Purchased the Traul property located to the east of the library for $15,000.

1973 – Hired a children’s librarian. Open house was held to give public a chance to view the remodeling and opening of the children’s department located in the basement area.

1975 – Discontinued the bookmobile service to help curtail operating expenses.

1977 – Library plans to add an addition to the present Carnegie building and an architect was hired. Logan County Commissioner granted the library $150,000 from the William Kauffman for the addition   ; said monies paid form the General Revenue Sharing Code 2-13. $15,000 for furniture was realized via public donations.

1978 – First official Summer Reading Program and Listening Club Program for the children with Mrs. Nancy

1979 – Open house held for the dedication of the new 4,663 square foot addition.

1980 – Homebound delivery service was offered to people who cannot get to the library.

1981 – Pre-school storytimes offered at branches.

1984 – First full-time clerk-treasurer was hired.

1986 – Funding changed to Library and Local Government Support Fund. This law sets aside 6.3% of the state personal income tax for the Library and Local Government Support Fund. The Main library added hours open to the public and branch library hours were extended to be open twenty hours per week.

1987 – WORLDS membership was dropped and the library joined NORWELD (Northwest Library District) a regional library system.

1988 – Circulation topped the 300,000 mark. Board of Trustees hired a building consultant to develop a library service plan and building program. Trustees are exploring the possibilities of building an addition to the library.

1989 – A parking lot east of the Library was purchased from Colonial Federal to provide thirty additional spaces.

1990 – In the month of January four records were established: overall circulation totaled 31,791 for the month, one’s month’s circulation at the main library 25,178, one day’s circulation at the main library 1,638 and one month’s circulation at the West Liberty Branch 1,913 – overall circulation for the year was 332,997 – a 44% increase over ten years ago and a 20% increase over 5 years ago. Installed a fully automated system for the retrieval and printing of magazine articles. Implemented a “Tales for Tots” program for two year old and their caregivers.

1991 – Purchased land in the 220 block of North Main Street to build a new main library facility. The Carnegie building was sold to the Logan County Commissioners to be used for county offices. Applied for a LSCA Title II Grant and was not successful. Hired the architectural firm of Feytag & Associates to design the new main facility. West Liberty Branch set a circulation record for the year – 20,200 items. The annual circulation was over 355,000 – an increase of 6.75 percent over 1990.

1992 – The main library broke a circulation record in the month of February with 25,893 items recorded. The public reference computer was updated to include Compton’s Multimedia Electronic Encyclopedia in conjunction with PC USA, PC Globe, Electronic PDR, Time Magazine, Grolier’s Electronic Encyclopedia and Automap. Applied again for the LSCA Title II grant and was awarded $281,778.00 to go towards construction cost for new facility. LLGSF Funds frozen for a two-year period.

1993 – Set a one-day’s circulation of 2,000. Broke ground for the new main facility at 220 North Main Street. Mr. A. E. Knowlton donated $400,000 in memory of his parents to the Logan County District Library Foundation to help construct the new main library. The main library building will be known as the Knowlton Library.

1994 – The main library moved into the new 17,500 square foot facility in November located at 220 North Main Street. The library was closed for one month for the move. Special areas include the Acusport Community Room, a computer lab, quite study/typing room, group study room, local history room and a storytime room. Family and Craft Nights began along with Family Entertainment programs.

1995 – The main library operated from the new Knowlton Library for the first full year. 4,157 titles and 6,259 volumes were added to the book collection during the year. The main library showed a gain of 17,253 items over 1994 and an overall gain of 11,236 for the system was reported. Circulation statistics showed an increased of 25% over ten years ago. The computer lab was popular with 2,115 users and 1,347 patrons used the local history room. The in-house reference was the largest ever with 26,571 question asked. The Children’s center gave 431 programs throughout the year with 13,218 attendance overall.

1997 – Patron can access the Internet through OPLIN (the Ohio Public Library Information Network) along with several exclusive databases including Archives USA, EBSCOhost, Electric Library, Novelist, Ohio Capital Connection, Ohio Historical Society, OH!Kids, and SIRS Researcher Discoverer.

1998 – The Library card catalog was replaced with an online computerized database (SIRSI) of the library’s collection.

1999 – The Library website (www.loganco.lib.oh.us) allows patrons to access the online catalog from the convenience of their home computer through the Internet. The main library’s circulation was computerized.

2000 – Branch libraries circulation was computerized.

2001 – Celebrated 100^th anniversary, 1901-2001. Recipient of a grant for computers from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation valued over $50,000. Remodeled the Rushsylvania Branch.  A record circulation, 22,811 items, was set for the Summer Reading Program.

2002 – Purchased the Dean & Barry Paint Store located north of the main library building (112 North Main Street) from Vernon & Louise Weber for $160,000.00.

2003 – Web browser, iBistro, was added to SIRSI. DVDs were added to the collection. A Magnifier was donated by the Lions Club of Logan County in honor of Richard Pettit a former deputy district governor for the Lions Club.    Fax service was added to the branch libraries. Began patron classes, Technology Tuesdays. Computer and scanner was added in the Genealogy/Local History room at the main library. Celebrated Ohio Bicentennial

2004 – Celebrated 10 years of service from the Knowlton Building. Purchased PC Reservation, print management and filtering software. Lakeview Branch was remodeled. Record circulation day at the main library with 2,238 items

2005 – Installed a wireless network for the main library. Record circulation day was set at the main library with 2,392 items circulated.

2006 - Installed  wireless access at all branch locations, integrated patron-place MORE (ILL) requests, Sunday movies, Logan County Oral History Project began and offered USB drives for sale to patrons.

2007 - Expanded Teen Café to twice a month.   Began coffee service to patrons at the main library in January.  Eleven Early Literacy Station computers were added to the system.  Wilma Ferguson, Clerk Treasurer for 13 ½ years retired December 31.  New Fiscal Officer, Stacy Sandy, was hired on December 3 as her replacement.

2008 - Effective January 2008 the LLGSF is funded through 2.22% of the state’s general tax revenue. The new funding source broadens the base of library funding to all General Revenue tax revenues, not just personal income tax.  Won 1^st Place Award for the OLC  Northwest Chapter Conference for outstanding programming “Give A Shout” for “Where in Logan County is Rita Book?.”  Added  fifteen laptops for a  wireless laptop learning lab for staff and patron usage.