Tuesday, January 10, 2012

One Hundred Years of Public Library Services

This year (2012) marks the 100th anniversary of the citizens (and government) of the Town of Mooresville, Indiana, organizing a library board and authorizing a tax levy toward construction of a new public library.  There had been intermittent library service during the 19th century, with a local lending library first established in 1855.  But the first municipal effort toward establishing a permanent, ongoing public library began in May, 1912, with passage of the levy and creation of the library board.

Mooresville citizens began to rally for a public library in October, 1911, but it took several months of meetings and displays of public support to entice the Board of Town Trustees to institute fundraising through taxation.  Taxes were no more popular a hundred years ago than now, and so it took some effort to garner widespread support from Mooresville residents.

The Library will be celebrating throughout 2012, and our patrons, of course, will be invited to participate. We have enjoyed a century of library service to our community, and we look forward to another century.

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