The
Women's
Institute and the
Library
 |
| The long struggle for adequate
library facilities. Here in 1895, a new
Public Library Board takes over from the old
Mechanics' Institute. |
In October 1926,
Mrs.
A.L. Phipps moved that we hold a carnival for the benefit of the
Library. Our
Library was then in the room that is now the kitchen in the
Masonic Hall. It was
small, dark and dingy and entirely inadequate. Plans were soon made to hold a
supper and dance. By April 1927 we had $170 in our
Library Fund.
We had a public meeting under the joint auspices of
the
Women's
Institute and
Home and
School Association, with a stirring address on the benefit of a
Library in the community. That inspired us to settle down
in earnest to raise funds to build a
Library.
We had tag days, card parties, suppers and more
suppers, compiled recipe books and took trips to places of interest where they
would pay us so much for each person attending. We catered at picnics, at
bowling club tournaments, farmers' banquets, teachers' conventions, and held
bake sales innumerable ... .
Then depression struck the country, and it was
impossible to ask for money for a
Library when so many needed food. However we decided to
carry on with our objective. We invested some of our money in a $500 bond, and
as our funds grew they were invested in more bonds. Then the Second World War
came and our work for the
Library was suspended in favour of Red Cross and war work,
but largely due to
Mrs.
Phipps' influence we still held to our idea of a
Library ... .
In October 1948, exactly 22 years after our project
began, a motion was passed that we turn over our funds to the
Library
Board to be used at their discretion. In January 1949, our bonds were
sold, and our total
Library Fund amounted to $1,752.54.
Mrs. O.L. Wright in
Richmond Hill Women's Institute,"Tweedsmuir History"(Richmond Hill:1957),unpaginated
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