National Library Week

By Brenda Tripp-Lanser

In honor of National Library Week, let’s talk about the local library. Monroe’s first library was started at the turn of the century in the Shaw Jewelry Store with a $100 donation. The Monroe Women’s Club funded the purchase of a dictionary, encyclopedias and a variety of standard reference books. After a lack of interest in the library, all items were stored for a year and then the Monroe Library Association voted on discontinuance of the library. In the 1940s the Monroe Today’s Club, spear-headed by library chairman Katherine Craven purchased children’s furniture and bookshelves. In 1943, the club sponsored a book drive with intent on moving forward with a library space for the public. As an alternative to a public space, the Jasper County Bookmobile started in the early 1940s and ran until 1983. The Monroe Women’s Club has been an integral part of the history and support of and the Monroe Public Library. Many, many memorial donations have funded the great programming offered and impacted the collection of books found in the library today.

All cities and counties in the state of Iowa are mandated to provide library support by Iowa Code 256.69. This allows all people to borrow materials, do research, attend programming, request books, use library facilities and benefit from the environment of a safe, comfortable public space without cost. The library is supported by city and county property tax and funding and services from the State of Iowa. The approximate cost of your local library is $46 per capita. $20,000 is spent annually on books, technology and programming at the Monroe Library. This expended fee also includes the Libby App (digital E-Book) available to all library card holders. 8,504 books and materials have been checked out last fiscal year. We receive nearly 100 books each month and follow the New York Times Best Seller List to insure that we add the most popular titles to the collection. If our library patrons purchased their books instead of taking advantage of free library services the total cost would be $112,966 for the year.

The extraordinary support of the Monroe Public Library Friend’s Group and their fundraising efforts have afforded the Monroe Public Library to renovate the library building, install the bike trail story walk, purchase special collections of library materials and equipment and provide free quality programming for the community of Monroe. The library staff, Library Board Members, and Library Friend’s Group continue to invest their time and energy exploring new and interesting ways to improve the library experience. Isn’t it fun to think the forward-thinking Monroe residents of 1900 were the spark that promoted the “sharing of books and ideas” into what the library is today.