Library Prepares for a Centennial Celebration
By Kimberly Smothers Clayton
Forsyth— August 3, 2022 — The Monroe County Library is recognizing an important milestone this August as it reaches its 100th year of service. The Monroe County Library centennial will be commemorated with the tagline 100 Years of Commitment to Community. The month-long celebration will include programs and events highlighting the library’s role in the community over the last 100 years.
“For 100 years, the Monroe County Library has provided for the community as a repository of information and enrichment,” Said Kimberly Smothers Clayton, the acting Librarian. “I am proud of the progress within the library as an institution and honored to play a role in providing such a necessary and integral service to the citizens of Monroe County. The library has done immeasurable work to enrich and enhance the lives of those in and around Monroe County.”
There was a library card found with an issue date of October 1920 belonging to Mary Rudisell. However, The Forsyth City Library was not established until August 1922 by the Forsyth Women’s Club. The Masons donated the use of one room on the first floor of the North Jackson Street Masonic Hall. Although the library couldn’t be designated as a Carnegie Library, the Carnegie organization supplied books that were to be kept separately from the rest of the collection. The local D.A.R. contributed a bookcase. The Lions Club provided magazines. Several members of the Community donated additional furnishings and books in honor or in memory of friends and family. On September 7, 1937, the Forsyth City Library moved to the current location at West Main Street, the former county jail, and the name was officially changed to the Monroe County Library. The Library has been served by 9 librarians and 2 interim librarians, not including present-day staff.
“Libraries move people forward by providing endless opportunities to grow. Over the course of my ten years working in a library, I have seen many patrons utilize those opportunities” said Marisha Crowder, Assistant Librarian.
The Monroe County Library will celebrate its 100th anniversary by hosting various events for library patrons of all ages, including a book-themed story time parade for children. To celebrate its centennial, the library will also introduce a commemorative library bookmark, designed by local student, Emily Shanks, and logo in addition to commemorative bags and swag that will be available to the public. The Library will also be taking submissions for a time capsule that will be sealed and buried on library grounds to provide future library patrons a glance at the past.
“I grew up coming to the library. I thought it was magical. Now as an adult working here, I am a part of the magic of making the library the key to the future” said Dallas Rozier, Library assistant.
Over 100 years, the Monroe County Library has introduced services and programs catered to the needs and requests of its citizens. “The Monroe County Library has been a part of my life since I was five and working here has made this place just as special to me as books themselves” stated David Barbee, Library Assistant.
The Monroe County Library is a county asset that is dedicated to fostering a love of reading and literacy for all ages. “Reading opens doors and created endless connections to far-a-way places and once unreachable people. Anyone wishing to delve into information and research or even just a good read should stop by. We’re waiting with open books” expresses Smothers Clayton.
Community leaders and residents are invited to join the library celebration by attending any or all scheduled events. The Centennial Celebration and Dedication will take place August 31, 2022 at 10:00AM. The full event schedule will be released and posted on the library’s social media accounts.
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All historical information about the Monroe County Library was compiled from “A history of Monroe County” by Rosalyn McGee Harbuck, copyright 1957.
