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Friday, January 18, 2013

More History Of Our Garden City Library

By Doug Alder, Historian

In the early 1970s, Bess Huefner served as LDS magazine representative for the ward in Garden City. She found that most people couldn’t afford to buy the subscriptions so she suggested that members trade them with each other. That led to a suggestion that they needed a library. They received CDBG grants for a library and park equipment.

Mildred Phelps joined the group and gave generous financial backing. The library continued to struggle, however, then Donna Hansen suggested that her grandmother-in-law, Beatrice Hansen, could help in getting the library going. Another government agency, called Green Thumb, paid a small wage to the person working in the library. Marie Weston and Afton Floyd worked hard to continue the legacy and volunteers kept it going until the new one was built and a librarian hired to oversee the new library.
 
Editor's Note: When the new library was built it was found that these early library pioneers had collected over 10,000 books and saved several historical records.  They worked in a 12x10 foot space in the then city offices and fire department.  They had children's reading hours and faithfully worked to keep the library tradition in Garden City.  Now we have a new library with computers, wifi, and even more books as well as a computer program to track lending library books.  With a $30 library card you can download audio and Kindle books from your computer at home.  Check it out and support this 42 year effort. 

 

 

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