-
On November 13, 1897 the Jeffersonville Township Public Library Association was formed.
-
The library needed a place to operate out of.
Citizens National Bank offered the use of a second-floor room rent free. -
The new Jeffersonville Township Public Library opened its door on December 17, 1900.
-
The first librarian was Miss Bertha Poindexter.
Her monthly salary was $20.00. Her first priority was to classify the collection according to the Dewy Decimal System. -
With the growth of the library more space needed to be found.
Miss Zulauf took the initiative to ask Andrew Carnegie for money. She sent a letter requesting $15,000, she died before a reply was received. But, a letter did come in February 1902 and Carnegie offered his assistance. -
Location for new library.
In December that same year the city council passed and ordinance donating Warder Park, the southern half of the block bounded by Court Avenue and Spring Street to Jeffersonville Township Public Library. -
Designing the library.
Arthur Loomis, a citizen of Jeffersonville and leading architect of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century was chosen. -
The cornerstone laid for the ne library.
On September 29, 1903 the cornerstone was laid in ceremonies conducted by the Free and Accepted Masons of Indiana, Grand Master William English presided. In the corner stone forty-six items were placed including newspapers, Masonic and military rosters, lists of government officials and church officers, cultural artifacts, and a number of library related items -
New Libry Completed
The building was completed in December 1904, it was constructed of Bedford limestone designed in the popular Beaux Arts classical style -
Miss Poindexter
She was able to grow the collection by 600 volumes in 1903 and by 1904 the collection had 3,160 volumes and by 1904 there were 1,400 borrowers’ cards. -
Interior of the Carnegie Library
The library had a collection of 3,896 books when it opened in reopened to the public in January 1905. -
The library’s support of American troops in World War I.
A highlight of Miss Poindexter’s first term was the library’s support of American troops in World War I. Indiana Public Library Commission in July 1917 requested books and money to start a permanent library at Fort Benjamin Harrison in Indianapolis. The Jeffersonville library donated more than one hundred volumes and $14.00 in cash. -
Miss Poindexter Retires
Even with the financial issues created by the depression the library continued to maintain and even expand most of its services during Miss Poindexter’s administration. -
The Great Flood
Mrs. Emma Bricker took over after Miss Poindexter retired in 1936 and little did she know the greatest disaster to hit the library would happen in January 1937. The waters of the Ohio river ripped through the streets of Jeffersonville and reached the top of the front door of the library. The entire collection was destroyed except a few reference books that were saved. -
After the flood.
The library was closed for many months after the flood. Mrs. Bricker was determined to replace the collection and reopen the library. Working with the Indiana State Library, they sought donations of books and money to replace the destroyed books. Donations came pouring in from nearly every state in the country. -
World War II
WW II brought an influx of new residents to the area because of the defense industries in the area which made the number of library patrons go up. This meant the library had to have strict borrowing policies because of wartime shortages made getting new materials difficult. -
Expanding to Clarksville
The township was continuing to grow and one area that was growing rapidly was Clarksville and area in the western section of the township. The library saw a need to better serve that area of the township and opened a branch library in October 1955 on at 304 West Stansifer Avenue. It remained at this location until it relocated to 523 Eastern Boulevard in the heart of the community’s busiest areas -
1948-1962
During this time the library went through several directors and in 1962 John Frey began his tenure as director -
New Library
In June 1967 the library board of trustees announced it would purchase a 1.5-acre tract of land just west of the new post office at the northwest corner of Court Avenue and Locust Streets in downtown Jeffersonville near the Carnegie library for a new library. -
Clarksville Branch
It was decided in December of 1967 to close the Clarksville branch and replace it with a bookmobile. -
Construction
Construction began in 1969 on the new library and was completed in March 1970. -
Leadership Change
In September 1973 Sheryl Yoder was appointed director. She brought a period of stability and progress to the library. Under her leadership the collection grew from nearly 82,000 to over 110,000 volumes and more than 97,000 titles. Stayed until the birth of her first child in November 1977. -
The Bolte Era
Yoder's replacement did not last very long and in April 1981 Bill Bolte was hired as director. His time at the library were prosperous ones. -
Information Explosion
In order to stay relevant the library had to invest in computers and software. The development of technology in the 1990’s was helped along by legislation passed by the Indiana General Assembly. This legislation established a Library Capital Projects Fund (LCPF) that allowed libraries to establish a fund for capital projects including purchase, lease, maintenance, or repair of equipment , including computers and software. -
A new Clarksville Library
Bolte’s first challenge regarding programming, facilities, and technology was Clarksville citizens needing and wanting library facilities of their own. They got a limited service facility in 1988 with a location in Greentree Mall. A a full service library was built in 1992 on Triangle drive in Clarksville. -
New Millennium
As the new millennium dawned the city of Jeffersonville a had grown, the main library was in danger of running out of room. Bolt and the library board made the decision to renovate the library, this renovation would add 11,000 square foot to the library by adding a second floor which would house the youth services department and administrative offices. The construction began in January 2004 and took over three years to complete. The new library opened January 2007. -
Bolte's Retirement
After 27 years Bolte retired and was replaced the current director Libby Pollard. -
Library in 2019
Under Pollard the library has continued to thrive. In 2018 the Clarksville branch underwent renovation and added more space and in 2019 the main location is adding a maker space and additional meeting rooms as well as new carpet, paint, and a new circulation desk.
The photo is of the paint, carpet and other flooring colors for the renovation at the main location.
