The first meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Havelock Public Library was held in October 1933. Officers were elected, a librarian was appointed, and over the following weeks, library hours were established and a Traveling Library was utilized to help provide the initial selection of books. Funds were provided from the Works Project Administration to support the librarian salary, allowing the Havelock Public Library to be open five days weekly through the rest of the decade.
Beginning in 1935, the library found permanent space in an old city hall building. As the collection grew and more space was needed, the city council agreed to construct a new library building on Main Street. The facility was completed in November 1976, and the local American Legion organization facilitated the move of books and shelving. A formal dedication and open house were held in June 1977.
Residents of the Hancock County community of Woden have had access to a Public Library for over 50 years. The first Woden Public Library was sponsored by the local Federated Women’s Club and was based in the basement of the First State Bank. The library operated there for 13 years before it moved to a new building in 1973. The Woden Public Library is open daily except Fridays and Sundays.
In the mid-1930s, Iowa natives Dr. W.D. and Ida Kinney purchased over 4,000 acres of land in Worth and Cerro Gordo counties near the community of Hanlontown. It was one of several land purchases made by the Kinney family after oil was discovered on their retirement property in Texas. After spending nearly 20 years in northern Iowa, Dr. Kinney passed away in February 1957; Mrs. Kinney died the following year.
Dr. and Mrs. Kinney were avid readers and had amassed a collection of over 5,000 books in a 900-square-foot space in their Mason City home. Following their death, the collection and accompanying mahogany shelving were to be donated to the community of Hanlontown, with the condition that the town provided permanent space for housing the books and established a public library.
Two lots were purchased on Main Street, and a former rural school building was relocated to Hanlontown from the Forest City area. A basement was added to the building and by the fall of 1959, the library was open to the public. The former school served as the community library until 1978, when the library relocated to the newly-constructed community center.
A community meeting was held on September 28, 1970, when two-dozen residents met to discuss the formation of a public library in Chelsea. A library committee was created shortly after the meeting, and fundraising began to establish a new library. After two years in a temporary location, the committee purchased the Chelsea Savings Bank building for use as a library when the bank decided to construct a new facility. An open house was held in the new library/city hall on June 10, 1973.
The public library in the Linn County community of Coggon dates to 1935 and was first organized by the local Ladies’ Literary and Social Club. The club came to an agreement with the town council to allot funds to the library from the Parks and Recreation Budget. The library was located in the front room of the City Hall building, and by 1954, the collection exceeded 6,000 books. In 1958, the library was relocated to the public school to meet state education requirements. The library has since relocated to Main Street in the one-story building that used to house the local newspaper, the Coggon Monitor.
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