The Ithaca
Ladies' Library Association was formed in 1876 by thirteen women. These
women included Mrs. D.C. Johnson, Mrs. H. C. Smith, Mrs. M. Winton, Mrs.
H. M. Pettit, Mrs. S.F. Barber, Mrs. M. H. Church, Mrs. A.M. Otis, Mrs.
C. L. Hall , Mrs. H. E. VanBuskirk, Mrs. S. L. Brown, Miss F. R. Seger,
Mrs. S. L. Winton and Mrs. J. E. Church. The plan was to organize a
public library in Ithaca. At the first meeting it was decided to charge
a $1.00 fee to any lady wanting membership. Juveniles under the age of
fifteen were to be charged $.50. Gentlemen could be honorary members
with a $1.00 fee, but they could not become an active member and did not
have a right to vote. The library was to be open between the hours of 3
PM to 5 PM on Saturdays. Fines were to be $.10 per week, no matter how
many days past due. All of their hard work amounted to nothing because a
library never evolved from their planning, at least not until 49 years
later.On November 26, 1925 a meeting was organized at Mrs. John F.
McKinney's house. The Book Committee consisted of: Mrs. Howard Potter,
Glenn Frye, L. O. Hokie and MR. J. M. Barnhart. Officers were elected
as follows: President Mrs. John F. McKinney; Vice President Walt L.
Clise; Secretary Mrs. George Lamphere; Treasurer Mrs. Frank L. Convis.
Other board members included Miles A. Nelson; J. T. Matthews, Mrs. Frank
Iseman and H. A. Potter. These people comprised the very first library
board. It was decided that the next meeting would be at Treasurer Mrs.
Frank L. Convis house for tea, with the public encouraged to attend.
There were 50 attendants, and it was a unanimous vote in favor of
establishing a library. The Library Board took their idea to the
village council, which voted in favor and offered to furnish heat and
lighting for the building.
In May of 1926 the reading room was formally opened in the Village
Hall. The Boy Scouts collected 300 books donated by citizens of
Ithaca. The State Library donated another 300 books. The library was
financed by pledges and donations for the first year. In 1927 a one mil
tax vote was held. It was for maintenance and support to keep the
library up and running. The mil passed by 33 votes. The first library
board meeting was held on March 22, 1927, where they decided the very
first librarian was to be Mrs. Alex McArthur. McArthur's salary was
$50.00 per month. She served as the head librarian for ten years until
her death in 1936. The librarian could not work more than 25 hours a
week. The library was open 3 to 5 on weekdays and 7 to 9:30 on
Wednesdays and Saturday evenings.
In four years the library had grown out of the space at the
Village Hall. Then a miraculous event occurred which changed the
library almost overnight. In 1930, Mrs. Annis Thompson willed to
the village a home for a library. It was to be called the Thompson
Home Public Library, in memory of her husband, William Thompson, and
her daughter, Beulah Thompson Parrish. The building was thought to
have been built around 1890.
In 1973 a plan was set out to construct a new library. The tentative
plan had an 80 x 80 foot building, which included a public rest room and
bus station. It was recommend by the library board that the present
Thompson Home Public Library Building be removed and a new building put
in its place. In the final plans the building was to be located on the
same lot and the building would be 66 x 61 feet. Several citizens were
present at a city council meeting to voice their opinions on the removal
of the library. They wanted the library to build on a different site,
so they could spare the home for historical purposes and arts and
crafts. The group was complimented on their interest in the community
and encouraged to pursue the idea of a museum for the city.
The last survivor of the the Thompson family, Mrs. Olaf Thorgaard of
Alaska, granddaughter of William Thompson, asked that the fireplace that
was in the home be removed and shipped to her home in Alaska. The
stained glassed window was also removed and is in the office of the
present library.
On May 30, 1974, the home was destroyed to make room for the new
library. The architects and city council previously determined the
library structure could not be preserved because of its condition and
site location. The library would be moved to a temporary quarters
until the new building was constructed.
Construction of
the new building was to begin by June.
The new library opened on January 13, 1976 with Sandy J. Shaw as the
head librarian. The library closed for three weeks while the books were
moved to the new location. The new library consisted of a children's
reading room, a Michigan room with local genealogy, and a reference
room. A book drop was a new feature that made the library proud. This
helped patrons drop off books even when the library was closed. At that
time the library was affiliated with the Chippewa Library League in Mt.
Pleasant and with the Michigan State Library in Lansing. This let the
library borrow books for patrons that they did not have in their own
collection.
In 1990 a facelift was done to the library, including an addition
built on to the east side of the library. The addition to the library
was 60 by 24 foot and housed a new children's area, video collection
expansion and room for research projects.
In 1996 the library was falling behind in technology so an automation
system was purchased. Patrons would now be able to look up an item on
the computer and find out if it was in or checked out saving steps in
hunting for materials. The new system would also scan books for
checkout. A few weeks' closure in the summer was required for the new
system to be installed and tested.
In 2000 the library underwent a remodeling, getting new shelving,
carpet, furniture and paint. There is now a program area in the back of
the children's section, used weekly for programs and story hours.
The library has been experienced a great deal of change over its 128
years of service, and it will see even more in years to come. Your
library is where the cutting edge of technological change is felt first.
