“Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers.”  Charles W. Eliot

One year from this month, a centennial birthday will be celebrated for the Niobrara County Library. Commissioned in roughly January of 1913, the library was built on a fund of $11,000.00 and opened its doors September 19, 1919. It is a Carnegie library, the Carnegie Foundation having funded the $11,000.00, and one of the only few still standing and serving its original purpose. Today, the library is run by Director, Debbie Sturman alongside May Smith, Assistant Librarian; Tina Kitras-Seaman, Children’s Librarian; Karen Alvis, Circulation Librarian; Jeanine Wade, Genealogy Librarian; and Barb Orr, Children’s Programming. Sturman herself has spent a total of thirty-one years serving inside the libraries walls, twenty-two in her current position, during which time she has seen the library transmute with the times, “…probably the most impactful are: one, automated the library collection and circulation, two, completed the handicapped addition, three, created a one-of-a-kind genealogical and historical database, and four, established endowment that is now providing significant funding to our operations”. 

In an effort to market the library and help mark the monumental occasion, the Niobrara County Library ran a logo contest. To the tune of seven entries compiled by five artists, the judging panel was tasked with picking an image that could be used in an array of publicizing tasks with an emphasize on an image that would look good in a variety of sizes. “In the end, the design by Tasha Moreno was chosen; the hand-drawn building design by Jason Avilez was also awarded a prize and will be used in some form during the year,” shares Sturman.

Over the course of the next year, the library will host various events to help celebrate the phenomenal birthday which started with the September 11 performance by Kerry Grombacher and Aspen Black. Per Sturman, a double-themed art show focusing on libraries and the year 1919 is being organized and will utilize a judging panel to award prizes. Overall, the decision to stretch the celebration a year in advance came as an offer to locals for the chance to read 100 books before the birth date, “The celebration has several planned events and is officially starting now as we are challenging people to use their library and join in the challenge of reading 100 library books during this year. We are also asking people to share what their favorite library books read are, with our goal of collecting at least 100 titles”. 

“Our goal is to provide a variety of experiences through our programming for all ages, since the completion of the addition in 1999 we’ve had the space to host programs and events and will continue to provide these as well as we can through the upcoming years. Being a small rural community doesn’t mean we shouldn’t have the opportunity to have rich cultural experiences,” states Sturman. This year will be a big year for the Niobrara County Library and the Niobrara County community. For a complete list of events, see the library website at http://www.niobraracountylibrary.org/.