Story posted Thursday, March 4, 2010
Library Celebrates 50 Years Of Service
By CRAIG ADAMS Journal & Topics Reporter
A long way from books in a bathtub, the Rolling Meadows Public Library celebrated its 50th anniversary on Sunday, Feb. 28.
"We are either 50 years old or 12-1/2," laughed Library Director David Ruff. "The library was started on Feb. 29, 1960."
The library began in a private home at Martin Street and Meadow Lane purchased by the city after the Friends of the Library already gathered 5,000 books. Fiction and non-fiction books were kept in the garage and children's books in the kitchen. The librarian's office was in the bedroom while she kept books waiting to be shelved in the bathtub.
The current building opened on Halloween 1967. The library urged all patrons to check out 10 books apiece in the month before the move and return them to the new building. That effort reduced the cost of moving to the new location.
"Through the course of the past year, we've done a number of things as ways to say thank you to the community," Ruff said. Sunday was the final event with a concert, raffles, and refreshments. Ruff estimated 1,500 people came to the library that day. "That's the biggest program we've had in any recent memory," he added.
Among those attending were many individuals that were pivotal in the establishment and sustaining of the library, Ruff added. "Some came back from as far as Michigan."
The library held several events during the past year to celebrate its anniversary including gift card giveaways and concerts. There is currently a display of historical photos in the library and the Playmakers Project: biographical information and pictures of volunteers that were instrumental in the library's development.
Ruff said technology has had the most impact on libraries since the days of books in the bathtub.
"We were a warehouse full of books," he said. "That's not the core business now." The Internet, DVDs, CDs, audio books, and other methods allows patrons to obtain more sophisticated information and requires different skill sets for librarians.
"We're much more information consultants," he said. "We have a lot more delivery systems now than we used to have."
However, certain aspects of the library remain.
"It's a place for enthusiasts to get together for things like book clubs and bringing your children for story time," Ruff said. "That's a core business that will never change."
"Back in the 1800s, they believed the way you run a democracy is to have an informed public," Ruff added. Libraries created that storehouse of information for the common man. "It was always meant to be the place where people could pursue their own education or their own interests."
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