When Boston resident Fred G. Frothingham died in 1896, $2,000 was given to the O’Brien County community of Paullina to construct a library building. The money was accepted and in 1907, Paullina residents voted to purchase a lot for the building and donated over $2,800 in additional funds to purchase the book and build the new library. The Fronthingham Free Public Library was dedicated March 5, 1908 with Iowa Governor Albert B. Cummins addressing the audience.
In September 1972, the trustees of the Grace Methodist Church in Paullina provided the city with a land lot and $5,000 toward the construction of a new library building. The new (and present) library construction was finished in in 1975; at time of completion, the facility was renamed the Paullina Public Library. Iowa Governor Robert D. Ray spoke at the official dedication in October 1975.
On May 15, 1901, Clinton Mayor George D. McDaid wrote to the Andrew Carnegie Foundation requesting funds for a new library building to be constructed in the eastern Iowa community. The result was a $45,000 grant provided the city provided land for the library and the annual budget was not less than 10% of the grant amount. Ground was broken for the new building on June 24, 1903, and the library opened to the public on November 9 the following year. More than 5,400 books were checked out in the library’s first month of operation.
In 2005, the group Preservation Iowa added the Clinton Public Library to its list of the state’s most endangered buildings as the city was considering building a new library facility at that time. A proposal in 2010 to allocate up to $10 million in bonds to construct a new library at a former elementary school site was soundly defeated. In December, the Library Board president told the Clinton Herald plans to renovate or move the library had been tabled for the immediate future.
The Stacyville Public Library debuted in May 14, 1968, inside the City Hall. The library was housed in the portion of the City Hall that formerly held two jail cells. The wall between the cells was torn down and bookshelves were installed for library use. A year later, as the collection grew, discussion began around the idea of using the entire City Hall building for the library. Funds were secured to remodel the facility and books were moved to the nearby beauty shop as the library space was renovated. The upgraded building of 1,050 square feet opened April 1970.
By 1995, the Public Library determined that more space was needed and fundraising efforts began for a new library building. Annual corn mazes were held between 1999 and 2002 to generate funds, and two large donations were received for use in the library project. The $285,000 building was completed in 2004 with a large crew of volunteer labor. On December 4, 2004, a large crew of volunteers moved books and materials, and the new library was officially opened.
The history of the Onawa Public Library can be traced to 1894 when the Monona County Jail held 25 books available to the public . Locations changed several times over the next decade before 1906, when a $10,000 grant was received from Andrew Carnegie to construct a new library. The grant was augmented by $20,000 from local Judge Addison Oliver, who contributed funds for both the building and a permanent endowment for future maintenance.
The cornerstone for the present library was laid October 17, 1908, and the building was officially completed fall the following year. The library, which is markedly different architecturally than other Carnegie libraries in the state, was entered into the National Register of Historic Places in October 1979.
In the spring of 1934 a committee was appointed to study the possibility of establishing a public library in the northeastern Iowa community of Fayette. A constitution and by-laws were officially established in October 1934, and two years later, control of the library shifted to the city council and tax dollars were made available for the organization. After a 1943 fire destroyed the first community-sponsored library, two local couples offered generous donations for a new building, which formally opened in 1952.
The library has seen a series of expansions since 1952 including a 1700-square-foot addition that was completed in 1999. The addition included meeting rooms, handicapped-accessible restrooms, and additional storage for the library. The library is open seven days a week.
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