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In 1953 the Library Board of Trustees raised $7,800 in donations and purchased the Plunket home at 123 Court Street. This library was known as the City-County 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 to Hancock County and the cities of Bay St. Louts 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 to depend on donations to keep its doors open.
On November 24, 1966, Bay St. Louis accepted and voted one-half mill to support the library.
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Waveland approved one-quarter mill in January, 1967. Thanks to the work of the Library Board of Trustees and many 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 porperty on Highway 90 and Ulman Avenue was purchased for	$17,000.
This was to be the sight for 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 who believed 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 purchas- * ed for the county. The Mississippi Library Com- i mission bookmobile was then parked near the ^ Waveland Town Hall and r opened as a branch.
Also in 1969, the main f. ^library was moved to its _5	(
■j present locationwhen'the
*	building on theVorner^f vfVjj -Ulman and Dunbar Ave- ft-.T
nues was rented.'v The 2\'~ "move had ;.not* . b6en\.j completed ,.when " Hum; f v .-cane Camille hit. Even f:. ^though the "library and * i contents suffered severe i damage and loss, it was » reopened to the public after only three weeks, j 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 Com-