The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Library marks 100th anniversary
It seems unusual to hear about a library janitor earning a higher annual salary than the head of the library.
But in 1919, that’s what the pay scale looked like at the newly opened Madison Public Library.
Agnes Martin, who held the title of head librarian; a janitor; and a third employee comprised the staff when the library opened on April 26, 1919, according to research conducted by Dee Culbertson, the current director of the Madison Public Library in Madison Township. Culbertson’s historical probe coincided with the 100th anniversary of the library.
“I found it interesting when (Martin) was hired, she was given $400 a year for her salary. And the janitor that they hired made $450 a year,” Culbertson said. “We kind of figured that No. 1, he was a man, so back then men usually made more money than women, and he was the janitor, and probably kept up the facility.”
In addition, Culbertson learned that when the library started operating, it was only open 22 hours a week.
“So maybe (the janitor) worked more hours … I don’t know, because I haven’t found anything more on how many hours that he worked,” Culbertson said during a recent interview at the modern-day Madison Public Library at 6111 Middle Ridge Road.
While Culbertson, her staff and volunteers have been sponsoring fun activities this year to help celebrate the library’s 100th anniversary, the occasion also has presented an opportunity to reflect on the organization’s storied history.
Carnegie connection
If you want to examine the roots of the library, you’ve got to dig back to 1915, when the Fortnightly Club of Madison decided to apply for a grant from the Carnegie Corp. to build a public library in Madison. On July 1 of that year, a meeting took place in Madison Town Hall, during which the Madison Township & Village Free Library Association was formed, according to an information sheet titled “The History of Our Library” provided by today’s library.
Madison eventually was chosen as one of the communities in the United States to receive library construction funds from the Carnegie Corp., which was headed by Andrew Carnegie. A prominent industrialist and philanthropist, he is credited with donating money to build nearly 1,700 libraries in America in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
“He loved libraries and did that all over the country,” Culbertson said.
The new library was constructed at a cost of $10,000 at 126 Main St. in Madison Village. At that time, the population of the village and township combined was about 3,000, Culbertson said she discovered during her research.
With about 3,200 square feet of space on two floors, the library circulated just under 10,000 volumes annually during its first few years, Culbertson added.
Making a move
Library operations continued in that building for 55 years. But, by the late 1960s, library officials and board members realized that a rising number of patrons and the area’s growing population pointed to the need for a new and larger building.
Land was secured on Middle Ridge Road, just west of the new Madison High School. Groundbreaking took place for a new 11,000-square-foot library in 1973, and the building was dedicated on June 23, 1974.
While the old library on Main Street would go on to become the Madison Village Hall, its successor in Madison Township became known by a different name — MacKenzie Library.
“One of the library board members, Adam MacKenzie, was a major force behind fundraising efforts for the library, so they raised enough funds for the library in 1974 that no extra taxation or levies were needed,” Culbertson said.
The library board decided to name the library as a tribute to Adam’s son, Donald, who was killed in a logging accident at age 23, Culbertson said.
Major expansion
MacKenzie Library, with more than three times the square footage of the original, probably seemed spacious when it initially opened. However, by the early 1990s, it had “run out of space and was hardpressed to continue providing state-of-the-art library services to its clients,” according to “The History of Our Library” information sheet.
After a feasibility study was conducted on enlarging the library and voters approved funding for the project, a 13,000-squarefoot expansion project was conducted at the library. On Dec. 2, 2000, the now 24,000-square-foot library opened with a new name — Madison Public Library.
In the nearly 20 years since it opened with a little more than twice the space offered in the MacKenzie era, the Madison Public Library has seen many changes in how it provides materials and services to patrons.
The Internet and electronic media have both played major roles in the way libraries everywhere operate, Culbertson explained. She cited the growing popularity of streaming services offered by the library, which allow patrons to download ebooks, audio books, music and movies to their mobile devices without even coming into the library.
Meeting needs
Besides offering patrons plenty of materials to read and listen to, the library also strives to serve as a meeting and gathering place for the community, Culbertson said.
Spaces, ranging from the MacKenzie Room which can accommodate about 80 people, to smaller study and conference rooms, prove to be popular, Culbertson noted.
“They’re always in use,” she said. “Sometimes we have to turn people away because they want (a room) at the same time as somebody else. That’s one of the biggest problems for libraries — figuring out spaces to put people, because people do meet and gather.”
Culbertson doesn’t see foresee the library doing any additional building expansions. Instead, her focus is reconfiguring existing space inside the building to better serve patrons.
“I’m looking for how we can better use our spaces now that we have... how to move things to give us more spaces for what we need,” she said.
Time to celebrate
Always mindful that library patrons need to enjoy themselves, Madison Public Library has held some fun events to commemorate its 100th anniversary.
In January, the library began marking each decade of its history over 100 days. Every 10 days have represented a new decade.
Special birthday events hosted by the library have ranged from a “Roaring Twenties Speakeasy,” to “Let’s Go to the Hop,” a 1950s-style sock hop. On March 7, the library jumps ahead to the 1970s with a “Family Fondue and Disco Dance” set for 6 to 8 p.m. Guests will get the chance to dip food in melted cheese and boogie to music of the disco era.
The festivities culminate on April 26, when the entire community is invited to attend the library’s official 100th birthday party, featuring cake and refreshments, from 6 to 8 p.m.
“We hope that a lot of our legislators and politicians and other community organizers and people will be here to help us with that,” she said.