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About The Bend bulletin. (Bend, Deschutes County, Or.) 1917-1963 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 26, 1959)
Tha Bend Bulletin, Wed., August 26, 1959 5A Lv tv'. 1 !,. ail l .aim j( ilia iWnlf ' 1 , ..... t (5r, y,, J' CHECKING OUT At tha checkout desk at the Deschutes County Library Mrs. Carson Call, assistant librarian, stamps due dates in books for library patrons. The hand-stamping system will soon be replaced by automatic equipment. Library born in Bend in 1908 By Linda Hambly Bulletin Staff Writer Somehow the name and (he building of the Deschutes County Library seem to be in antipathy to one another. The more usual conception of a library suggests grey stone steps, and masses of rough-hewn stone excised by intermittent steel-rimmed window-holes. In fact, the ex terior of such an edifice would frighten away little children, imagining the interior to be dark, foul-aired, and run by old fogies. This library in Bend, however, embodies quite a different tale. Only one year more than half a century ago, a library was born to Bend. A small but conscienti ous group of women organized a Ladies Library club on February IB. They met at the home of Mrs. J. E. Sawhill. Mrs. C. D. Rowe became the club's president; Mrs. F. F. Smith, vice - president; and Miss Mary E. Coleman, secre tary - treasurer, and later, librar-1 tan. These women decided to open a public library and reading room. Since they had to raise money for magazines and current expenses, they began to give dances, sup pers and other social affairs, the first on the following Saturday. Traveling Library They immediately ordered a list of 17 magazines and five week lies, and made arrangements with the Oregon Library Commission to send a traveling library con sisting of 50 books to Bend every six months, the local club paying freight charges both ways. The first book collection con sisted of 38 volumes, donated by. the club members and their friends. j Just as the library's future seemed bright, troubles began. Al-; though 1W3 was a lucky year J. M. Laurence donated the rent to 1 the library which, from April 6. occupied his building on V a 1 1 Street two years later he sold the building. I Mrs? E. D. Wilson, the lihrar- i ian. feared that the library would have to close, since rent was too expensive. Finally, however, a j commercial club cared enough for the library so as to pay one year's rent for the store room in the Johnson Building. When the Bend Company erect ed a building for its electrical supplies, the library was trans ferred to one large room which it occupied rent-free. City Contributes The young library began to wax stronger nnder nourishment of $:l.o:)0 which the city appropriated in I9KI. Liter the county and city derided to divide the cost of the library, and in lKifl. the Bend Li brary became the Deschutes County Library. ' On January 6 of that year, the county court appointed the first Deschutes County Library board. Mrs. J. M. Lawrence was presi dent; R. W. Sawyer, treasurer; George A. Paddock, secretary; and Mrs. Max Cunning and Fred Wallace members of Die board. Once more the Ladies Club came to the library's rescue, and do nated their library and funds to the newly-formed organization. Like all growing concerns, the library began to develop loftier ideas about its future. In 1923, John Du Buis drew tentative plans for a new structure. In Feb ruary of the following year, the Bend Company donated the lot on which the new library was to stand. It also sold the adjoining lot to the library. The Ladies Li brary club and the Bend Civic League raised the funds. A. E. Doyle, a Portland architect, drew plans for a brick building, but later a wooden structure won the honor. Steady Growth Donations for the building fund from the PEO Sisterhood were first reported in April 1927. In the ' fall, the Ellis building was en : larged to house the growing li brary. Over 1.000 volumes were given to the library in 1928 from the estate of Charles Stuart Bcn ! son. In 1029. Hugh M. Thompson, a Bend architect, was asked to re view the library building plans with the board. He estimated that a brick structure would cost $36, (M. With the constant growth of the library, there arose a query among many citizens as to wheth er or not the library was oper ating as a special agency. On .Ian. 4, 19.10, Ross Farnham, dis trict attorney, answered that any money left over to tlie library at the end of the year was to stay with the library, in a special li brary fund, and not revert to tlie general city fund. PWA and WPA applications were approved for the library. The Board accepted the PWA grant of $13,500 for con-! stniction of the $30.ooo building which remains on Wall Street to day. The same year, Whitehouse and Church, architects, used native woods for the exterior and inter ior designs of the library. Fred W. Van Matre was the contractor. Changos In War Years During the war years, the li brary underwent spectacular changes in reorganization and ex pansion. In 1942, it procured an approximate 1000 record collec tion, free of charge. In '43 and '44. the periodicals were reorgan ized. All magazines were encased in cardboard boxes. Library rules were worked out. The first glass showcase was secured for exhib its. Tlie Oregon collection was segrated, and there began a Young Moderns' Corner. In 1944, a complete inventory of books 'was taken, and a complete mending and binding program be gun. The library acquired fixtures such as easy chairs and reading tables. By the end of tlie war, the rec ord collection had grown three fold. The library began to buy rec ords from the local stores. The collection has now grown and de veloped in various categories. The music includes early through con temporary serious music; show music, popular and folk music, and early and modern jazz. The collection also includes re cordings of famous speeches, po etry readings, and language series in German, French, Spanish, Ital ian and Russian. Aids School Teachers By 1946, the library had 23,000 volumes. It supplied with room collections eight teachers at Al len, four at Kenwood, four at Reid. and two in the high school. It served, as to teachers and rooms, 100 per cent the schools outside of Bend. It also served tlie St. Francis school and the three Seventli Day Adventist schools at Bend, Redmond and Sisters. An example of a seemingly phe nomenal being of both stable and moving body, the library acquir ed a one-and one-half-ton Vanette bookmobile to provide greater ef ficiency in delivery and pick-up service to schools, branches, and stations. As a result, it eliminated the expense of maintaining a ship ping department. Trips are made regularly once a month on defin ite fixed schedules. In September, the library will install an automatic checking sys tem. Three book charging ma chines will serve the main library, the children's room and the book mobile.' The machine will eliminate hand charging and save the li brarian hours of time. Children are a special interest to tlie library. They look forward every Saturday to story hours. In the summer, tney nave a special reading project followed by a pic nic. Every November, they visit the library in groups. They com bine fun and skill in organizing doll shows, hobby shows and spec ial' exhibits. The library, in fact, has become a realm of adventure to them. This year, the children's room has a particularly friendly atmos phere. Two large mural maps of Oregon greet the incomer, re minding him of the Centennial. Other maps stud the walls, as well as drawings and paintings ; done by careful little hands. i You're sitting pretty on washday when you use our coin operated machines. 8 out of 10 woman tell us "You have the best laundry deal in town. Your machines art easy to operate and do su perior job of washing." It costs lest to use the best! 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