On February 15, 1939, members of the Page County community of Essex met in the city hall with the goal of establishing a city library. A library board was created, and in their next meeting determined to make a house-to-house canvass of the town seeking donations and books. Their efforts were quickly rewarded, and a library opened within the city hall building in April 1939. By 1956, the library moved from its city hall space to a portion of a local bank building. The most recent move was a decade ago, when the library moved to a new 5,000-square-foot facility in downtown Essex. The design features ample natural lighting, exposed wood trusses, and the ability to expand by up to 30% within the new building.

Further Reading: Read more about the Lied Foundation, which provided significant funding for the library project, in this article from the Lawrence (Kansas) World-Journal.