Mason County District Library

Liibrary Showcase: ????

The Mid-Michigan Library League and the Case of the Missing Library name.

A few letters and a box of pictures are all that remain of this library’s name. Put on your detective hat and follow the clues as we attempt to reunite one of our member libraries and their library name. In the caption of each picture, letters are bolded and when put together, they form the missing library name.

Caption: Picture of Michael Deren; Past in Person – Lumberjack. On October 10 th at 7 pm he will play the concertina, fiddle, bones, limbertoys, button accordion, and hammered dulcimer and share songs and stores of life in the lumber camps. His program is the first of many programs scheduled to celebrate the 100 years of the mystery library’s history.

Caption: During 2004 over 245,000 items/materials were borrowed from the libraries by over 100,00 visitors. The libraries over 100,000 items including books, magazines, videos, audio-tapes, CDs, DVD’s and other material for all ages.

Caption: The libraries are open 7 days a week during the 9 month school year and 6 days a week during the summer. The libraries have several weekly story-times for children, with a craft to accompany the stories. The story and craft programs are very popular and in 2004 almost 4000 children attended. The Summer Reading program encouraged over 500 area children to read over 6,000 books during the 2004 summer, while the summer craft programs averaged over 150 children a week. Library instruction and tours were given to almost 1,500 children during 2004. The library offers a weekly reading club for kids and it sponsored a popular children’s bookmark contest which resulted in hundreds of entries. A weekly kid’s chess program and Jr. High arts program are well attended.

Caption: I n 1872 a library was started with a collection of used books and a donation of $100.00. In 1881 two‑thirds of the library’s city was destroyed by fire and the entire library collection was lost. In 1905 the Pere Marquette Literary Club secured a grant for $15,000 from the Carnegie Institution for construction n of a new library. The city council gave the library matching funds and made a commitment for $1,500.00 annually for upkeep of the building. On March 1, 1906 the library opened. In 1975 Federal revenue sharing funds from the mystery city and county were secured to remodel and enlarge the library and voters passed a millage for construction. Total cost of the new portion was $300,000.

Caption: In 1899 retired banker Mr. Charles Blain donated a lot on South Main Street in a mystery city for a library. Th is first library was known as the Blain Reading Association and was located at 113 S. Main. In 1940 this first building was sold and removed and a new building was erected , with the library on the 2nd floor. By the early 50’s the Library was occupying the entire building.

Caption: I n 2002 the library was extensively remodeled with the addition of a new children’s room and a community meeting room. This project which doubled the size of the library was made possible by a single anonymous donor.

Did you put the letters together and get; Scottville Library, Ludington Library, and Mason County District Library? Great Detective work!

The Scottville Library and Ludington Library jointly make up the Mason County District Library. Beginning in 1992, the boards of the Ludington library and the county library engaged in negotiations to merge the libraries into a single library district. The merger was formalized and a conditional district library was created on April 1, 1994. The continuation of the library was dependent on a successful millage election which was held on August 4, 1994. With a 57% yes vote for the establishment of the library as well as its operating millage of 1/2 mill, the Mason County District Library became a permanent institution serving all the residents of Mason County.

The first building picture is the Ludington Library and the second building picture and the children’s room is of the Scottville Library.

We salute the Mason County District Library for all they have done for their community and are proud to have them as a member of the Mid-Michigan Library League.

Mid-Michigan Library League- 210 1/2 N. Mitchell- Cadillac, MI 49601
Phone: 800-968-0046 Fax: 800-968-3297

Website design: Holly Mercer
Last Update: March 29, 2007