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June 23,1976
COAST BUYER’S GUIDE
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Across the finish line
Forty-two
years of
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Our present library system’s history began in 1934 as a Works Progress Administration Project. Miss Louise Crawford was the first librarian. The library consisted of two hundred books in a room donated by the Hancock Bank. The city of Bay St. Louis provided the library with a stove and fuel, and Hancock County offered lumber and workmen to build shelves. Undaunted by hard times and the unbelieveably bad road conditions, Miss Louise soon set up many branches in all parts of the County. She even used her car as the first “bookmobile”, so that as many people as possible would have library service.
By 1948 Miss Louise’s collection had grown to
9,000	books and was moved to the ground floor of the Knights of Columbus building on Main Street. It was obvious that the library would continue to grow and require more adequate space in the future.
In 1953 the Library Hoard of Trustees raised $7,800 in donations uid purchased t h e Piunket home at 123 Court Street. This library was known as the City-Cmmty Memorial Library.
In 1966 a donation of $10,000 was made for a new library building. In order to become a public library and thereby gain financial support, the Library Board of Trustees offered the library property and the collection of books valued at $50,000 t o Hancock County and the cities of Bay St. Louis and Waveland.
On June 20, 1966, the Hancock County Board of Supervisors accepted the offer and allocated one mill for operation of the 'library*'No longer
•	would the , library have ; v-T^to depend•on^donations^ «»?!$*£ to'keep Its doors open!'
■/■■■ Oil November 24,1966, j Bay St:‘-Louis;accepted ^ .. and Voted" bne^half- mill**- > to'; support; the'.'library. WaVeland approved one?,!; ' - quarter mill in January ,-C : !; :• 1967431ft rfks Jo. the'Work >'
supporters, the people of Hancock County now had a county-wide, public library with an operating budget of $28,565.11. This allowed the library to receive help from the state library agency -- the Mississippi Library Commission. The Commission loaned shelving, furniture, and books, many of which are still being used.
During this time many people were still working toward proper library facilities for Hancock County. In 1967 the dream moved toward reality when a piece of property on Highway 90 and Ulman Avenue was purchased for $17,000. This was to be the sight of a new library headquarters building. A campaign for funds brought donations which paid the debt on the property.
Optimism abounded and application was made to the Mississippi Library Commission for funds from the federally financed Library Services and Construction Act. This was a process which would prove to take many years.
Meanwhile, a bond issue was offered in 1968 and defeated; yet those whoi)elievcd didn’t lose sight of their dream. Even with a small budget for operating the Bay St. Louis Library, service was extended to other areas of Hancock County. The Mississippi Library Commission loaned a bookmobile to be used in the rural areas of Hancock County, and, in April of 1969, the first bookmobile was purchased for the county. The Mississippi Library Commission bookmobile was then parked near the Wave-iand Town Hall and opened as a branch.
Also in 1969, the main library was moved to its present location when the building on the corner of Ulman and Dunbar Avenues was rented. The move had not been completed when Hurricane Camille hit. Even though the library and contents suffered severe damage and loss, it was reopened to the public after only three weeks. This was just evidence that many people were hard at work to provide library service.
In 1971 the Board of Trustees was informed that Hancock County was second on the list for federal funds to construct a library building. If the 1967 application was accepted, the amount would have to be matched with 40 percent local money. A Building Program Advisory Committee was formed to inform and influence candi-
PICTURED ABOVE are the three chairmen of the Library Board of Trustees who presided over the board during the long process of making this building a reality. rightto I eft, they are Mrs. Evelyn Griffith, Mrs. Linda Haas and Mrs. Frances McDonald, present chairman.
Photo by Tom Koger