The Rossville Community Library, A Look at its Past, the Present, and its Future, 1993
The Rossville Community Library- A Look at Its Past, the Present, and its Future Page 5 St. Marys Star October 5, 1993 PART I by Dorothy N. Hoobler When the Rossville Community Library at 407 Main was dedicated in late November 1968, no one dreamed that 25 years later, its services would have grown so much that an addition would be necessary. That, however, is exactly what has happened. Consequently, plans are being made to correct the “too small” problem. The land just north of the building has been generously donated by Ron and Joyce Lutz. The proposed addition will be approximately 24 by 50 feet. Along with providing for the pa¬trons it serves and the services it gives, two handicapped re¬strooms will be added to meet federal requirements. No target date has for completion, but the library board has decided to establish two separate building funds. A plaque will list the names of all donors of $100 or more, either to a regular building fund, or to a memorial fund. Those two plaques are already hanging on the wall. Other fund and financial plans will be announced later by the Library Board — President Scott Kelsey, Larry Anderson, Marie Sullivan, Shelly Braden, and Mary Jane Berkey. As the name, Rossville Community Library, implies, this is a township, not a city library. It is supported by a small tax levy. The Rossville Town¬ship Board, currently Helen Horton, Richard Langworthy, and Tom Schuetz, supervises the library and appoints the library board. They, in turn, hire the library staff. Mary Brennan is the present librarian and Ruth Godbey is the assistant. [caption to photograph] Scott Kelsey, President of the Rossville Library Board, and Richard Langworthy, Trustee of the Rossville Township Board, are shown the deed to the lot north of the library where they anticipate enlarging the building, by Ron and Joyce Lutz. Photo by Carla Opliger
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1951 Rossville Community Library News, Rossville, Kansas
LIBRARY NOTES Help! Hellup! We are broke! We need your financial assistance. During this month the citizens of Rossville and community will be asked to buy a library card or give a donation to help support the library. The Library Board, composed of Mrs. Bess Conley as chairman, Mrs. Ruth Hesse, Mrs. Juanita Cormack, Mrs. Millicent Renwan, librarian, and Mrs. Lydia Zickefoose, will solicit Library cards cost $1.00 per year for adult and high school students. Jane Rogers gave us three new books from her "Children's Literary Guild" book club; Juanita Cormack and Mrs. Renwan have added new selections from their book clubs. Date: October 4, 1951 LIBRARY NOTES The library board wishes to thank the Twin Rose Home Demonstration Unit for a five dollar donation to buy children's books. The year's budget for our library calls for $200.00. Last year we started out with a left over fund of $154.00. We sold 55 reading cards at $1.00 each. This year we must earn the total amount, therefore we must ask your assistance. Our library is a community project not just a Rossville library. Anyone within the county and trade area are welcome and urged to use it. Every six months we rent 50 juvenile books and 50 adult books. Change of books is due in November. You may buy your reading cards at the library or from the solicitors mentioned last week. All cards sold now will expire January, 1953, giving you two months of free reading. We wish to gratefully acknowledge the gift of a Rand McNally Road Atlas of the United States, Canada, and Mexico by Lester O. Parr, of Silver Lake. Mrs. Johnnie Simecka and new home [sic] last Thursday from St. Francis. George Wehner of Delia is staying at the home and caring for the family. Date: October 11, 1951 LIBRARY NOTES The Library Board is grateful for a one dollar contribution by the Countryside Club and the annual $5 contribution of the Rossville WSCS of the Methodist Church. All contributions not including money for reading cards, will be used to purchase books for the library. A pair of nylon gloves and a book on knitted and crocheted Afghans are at the library begging for an owner. Due to the tardiness of some people to return their traveling library books as requested, the two trunks of books could not be shipped on the freight train Monday forenoon. The return of books from Topeka will be delayed. There is a request for a poem, "The Trundle Bed", [sic] published years ago. Does anyone have the poem or can make suggestions where it may be found? A copy of "Little Women" by Louisa M. Alcott, has been requested. Mr. and Mrs. Douglas Donavan and Patsy of Manhattan were Sunday dinner guests at the C. K. Prater home. Date: October 25, 1951 LIBRARY NOTES November 9 is the first anniversary of our community library. Have you visited thelibrary and become acquainted with our books? In addition to the library there is a ladies' rest room and lounge available on Thursday, Friday and Saturday afternoons and Saturday night. All traveling library books are DUE SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 3. Two or three books were stamped November 8. Will you please return them November 3 so I can check and pack them to return to Topeka? Kenneth Olson recently added books to our growing collection. We have over 700 besides the 100 rented from Topeka. Some new ones will be added soon. Many additional readers have bot [sic] reading cards and are using the library since our drive to sell cards this Fall. Date: November 1, 1951 LIBRARY NOTES The Traveling Library books from Topeka are here for both adults and juveniles. "The Long, Long Trailer" by Clinton Twiss. This is a true and very funny story of a trailer that grew and grew. Mr. Twiss, who is known to thousands of radio listeners says "You'd have to live in a trailer to know what it means to write with the vacuum cleaner running and your wife urging you to move while she takes the pie out of the oven. Read it and have a good laugh." We have "Winter Wedding" by Martha Barnhart Harper, reviewed this week by Edith Higginbotham in her pleasing style. This companion volume to Mrs. Harper's popular "Bittersweet" is a cheerful, homey story. The heroine is a teacher who leaves her Pennsylvania home in 1865 and goes West to Iowa, lives with relatives and finds romance. Mrs. Phyllis Babicki donated this book. Date: October 18, 1951 LIBRARY NOTES To those persons owing fines or overdue library books, will you please call at the library this week end? The state and federal library reports are due in January. It takes time to make our reports to send them. We are pleased to report that Santa Claus must have heard us wish for a new calendar for the Community Center for here came a calendar from the Farmers Union, special delivery by Perry Stumbaugh. Thanks, Perry. Happy New Year to all the readers, friends and supporters of our growing Library. Date: December 27, 1951
October 4, 1951 October 11, 1951 October 18, 1951 October 25, 1951 November 1, 1951 December 27, 1951
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1968 Rossville Library Board, Rossville, Kansas
The Rossville Community Library Board at the Open House to the new building on northwest Main Street in December 1968 Picture left to right: Irene Parr, Fern Rogers, Ruth Hesse, Judy Kidney, and Micki Reid
Public domain due to copyright expiration
Lena Reding's Retirement from Rossville Library, 1986, Rossville, Kansas
[caption] MRS. LENA REDING visited with a friend at a reception in her honor. Photo by Belinda Driscoll As I Look Back by Lena Reding Fifteen years ago on April 8, 1971, I became librarian at the Rossville Community Library. I was approached by Gerald Reser, who was president of the Board, asking it I would consider the position. I said, “I have no college hours in library science; all my college hours are in elementary teaching, which I have done for the last 29 years.” “No problem,” he said, “pick up three hours if you so wish,” which I did. Gerald painted a beautiful picture — really not much to do, check out books, put them away, order books, type, file, clean, etc. Thinking all the while he was talking, I asked, “What do you pay for this Jack-of-all-trades?” When he replied $1.25 an hour, I said, “Forget it.” Two days later he came back and said the board decided to give me $2.00 an hour if I would accept. I did. We were open four days a week, three hours a day. We are now open six days a week, four hours a day. ' These 15 years have been happy, enjoyable years, due to the cooperation and interest of all past and present board members who are: Gerald Reser, president; Marie Sullivan, treasurer; Ruth Hesse, secretary; Fern Rogers, representative; Larry Anderson, member; and, of course, all our patrons. We (my daughter, Mary Mayer, who has been here nearly three years) try very hard to meet the needs of our patrons. Rossville Community Library is a Township Library. It is also a member of the Northeast Kansas Library System under the leadership of director Glen Plaisted and assistant director and consultant, Lois Adriance. (These are the ones we rely on when advice or help is needed.) Words cannot express my appreciation for the honor given me by the Board. I feel I do not deserve this. Now that I am semi-retired, hopefully I can do some things I enjoy doing — vacation in the Rockies, fishing, Royals ball games at Kansas City, card games/etc.
Rossville Community Library, 2010, Rossville, Kansas
Early photo of Rossville Community Library, Rossville, Kansas
We believe this is a photograph of the library within a few years of its construction.
1968 Rossville Library Open House, Rossville, Kansas
Syd & Perry Stumbaugh Irene Parr (chair) December 1, 1968
1969 Rossville Library Open House, Rossville, Kansas
New Library Open House Fern Rogers, Vice Chair Lou Krueger, Architect December 1, 1968