Happy birthday!

Library marks 200th anniversary with party

About 300 people helped Mentor Public Library celebrate its 200th anniversary with a concert, community mural and party on July 12, on the lawn of the library’s Main Branch. Everyone who came to the party had the opportunity to contribute to a mural of the Mentor Marsh that will hang in Mentor Public Library’s Main Branch. Gail Christofferson, artist and owner of Animal House Glass, designed the mural and helped library patrons piece it together. Meanwhile, one-man band Tom Todd serenaded everyone as they enjoyed pizza and cake. Kids also had crafts to make and games to play.

Mentor Public Library has been celebrating its bicentennial all year long. The library had its origin as the Mentor Library Company in 1819. Back then, the library company owned 79 books that were housed in the homes of its shareholders. The rules were strict back then. A dog-eared page would cost you a 6.5cent fine.

Much has changed in 200 years. Mentor Public Library has grown from not having electrical lights to offering Wi-Fi and loaning hotspots.

The library predates the first phone but now allows patrons to borrow ebooks, digital magazines, and stream videos directly to their smartphones and tablets.

And the library’s still growing. It added a fourth location just last year – The HUB inside of Mentor High School.

The library patrons paying fines for dog-eared pages in 1819 couldn’t imagine a library with laser engravers, 3D printers, vinyl cutters and a green-screen studio.

But the same library card that allows people to borrow books and movies now provides access to The HUB’s state-of-the-art makerspace.

For more information on the library’s history and its bicentennial, visit www.mentorpl.org/200th.

SUBMITTED Library lovers help create a mural of Mentor Marsh during Mentor Public Library’s 200th anniversary party.

SUBMITTED Mentor Public Library Reference Director Amy Senning and Executive Director Cheryl Kuonen piece together a glass mural of Mentor Marsh that will adorn Mentor Public Library’s Main Branch.