| Mondovi Public Library |
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MONDOVI PUBLIC LIBRARY ONLINE CATALOG/ORDERING
LIBRARY HISTORY The library's beginnings were about 1897 when Dr. George M. MacGregor, a physician and Superintendent of schools, put a bookcase in the post office and moved some school library books there for public use. The books were locked up except for certain hours on Saturday which was known as "circulation day." The meager stock of books was augmented by an appeal to the public for reading material; in this way, additional volumes and used magazines were added.
A library board of directors was formed in 1902 with Dr. MacGregor
as president and his wife, Charlotte, as unpaid librarian. Other board
members were pioneer professionals and merchants who were
interested in the cultural aspects of this growing community. In short
order, $300 was raised for establishment of a library, $200 of which was
appropriated for the annual maintenance of it. Miss Cornelia Marvin,
state Library Commission organizer, came to the December, 1902 board
meeting to
In 1912, Mabel Farrington became
librarian |
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| Librarian: Patti
Berglund Assistants: Cindy Krett, Jessica Sessions, Helen Danzinger |
Mondovi Public Library, 146 West Hudson Street |
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give
help and advice. Three dusty rooms in the back of the old city building
were decided on for the fledgling library; with much work at renovation,
suitable accommodations were made. The first librarian was Charlotte MacGregor who was paid $20 for the period from December, 1903 to July,
1904. One day a week was circulation day and the janitor was allowed 25
cents for cleaning. Subsequent librarians were Irma Hebard, Nellie Lee,
Grace Allen, Jennie Lovejoy and Amy Humphrey. Salaries had climbed from
$40.00 a year to $288 by 1911, but often there was no 25 cents for a
janitor so there is a history of board members doing the work.
and stayed at the post until 1935. Throughout those years, she carried
in the firewood that heated the rooms in the winter, built the fire and
on cold days sat bundled behind the desk with her feet on a warm
soapstone. Her dedication to the library resulted in a
circulation increase from 1000 books a year when she began to nearly
2000 a month by 1921. As the city and its budget grew, Miss Farrington
and the board members worked hard to make sure the library had a
proportional share. The vision of Mabel Farrington and the board always
was for ever larger quarters and inventory. This was realized in a small
way in 1930 when the jail was moved from the city building to the new
pump house on East Main Street, and the library expanded into the
vacated space. The hope for a new library was realized because of the
depression; in 1935, Federal money became available for W.P.A. projects
and the City of Mondovi received a grant for a new city building
contingent on the inclusion of new library facilities. After 23 years of
hard work and expectations, Miss Farrington's dream began to take shape.
But, reminiscent of Moses, she did not live to see the culmination of
her work. Several months before the completion of the building, she was
in a car accident while on vacation and died of the injuries. The
present library was dedicated with many thanks to her and all the others
who worded to make it possible