In 1910, 100 years ago this January, a group of dedicated citizens of Hillsborough met together to form a library association with the purpose of establishing a public library. They needed books, a place to house them and someone to supervise the collection to allow the whole society access.
Books were gathered by the association from people in the community who could afford and had books in their homes. As if predestined, their need for a building was met by the Presbyterian Church, which offered the use of its Session House on the corner of Churton and Tryon streets. Since the library association had no trained librarian, 12 of the members of the association volunteered in the capacity of a librarian, each serving one month a year. The association dues were 25 cents a year; later raised to $1 a year.
The library was open two hours on two days a week. For 24 years, these stalwarts of Hillsborough’s first public library stretched their arms to tomorrow. In 1934, they received a grant from the School Board of $180. Such extravagance! But likely, with their times, that was a step forward. Services were expanded.
In 1933-1935, a new stone building was built by the WPA where the Session House had been. A local historical group had been accumulating a fund to construct a memorial shaft to honor Confederate dead. The group decided to donate the fund to the library and the library was named the Confederate Memorial Library, the only public library so named in the United States. (Way down South in the land of cotton, old time folks are not forgotten, look away, look away, look away, in Dixie Land.)
To expand services, the library started delivering books by truck throughout the county. In 1937, the first true bookmobile with shelves was delivering to 65 stops. This building with bookmobile books housed or provided more than 30,000 volumes. The spaces were filling. The upstairs and the basement were outfitted to give more room.
From 1957 until the end of the 1970s, the Hillsborough Library was bursting even though a Chapel Hill library was in existence by that time. Space should be doubled, it was argued.
It was time to move on and expand, which occurred in 1981 when the Grady Brown Elementary School was renovated for the library and Human Services. The library was clearly marked “Orange County Public Library.” (Glory, glory alleluia, glory, glory alleluia, glory, glory alleluia, the truth goes marching on.)
The total collection today exceeds 80,000 books in Hillsborough alone, with circulation of 178,559.
With more computers, books, copiers and genealogy, a farsighted County Commission determined in 2003 that a larger, modern library space was needed. The past is to be applauded. The steps forward are to be cheered. The County Commission is to be thanked. A beautiful library has been completed and is open for business, thanks to the new director of the Orange County Library, Lucinda Munger; Andrea Tullos, assistant library director; and the staff. Let’s keep on marching!
Like Ben Franklin said of his Philadelphia library effort: “As the public library grew, surrounding towns and counties declared that our library users got more intelligent.”
Looking forward and upward, we can only imagine what greatness lies ahead for us. Maybe, indeed, we will continue to grow in enlightenment.
In closing, I will again quote my dear friend, Ben Franklin: “An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest.”
Max Preston of Hillsborough is a published poet, a member of the Friends of the Orange Library and a puppeteer. This column is taken from remarks he offered at Friday’s dedication of the new Orange County main library.
