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New City-County Library dedicated at ceremonies in Bay St. Louis MARIA WATSON Bay Bureau Chief Calling a library "the mark of a growing community," U. S. Rep. Trent Lott, R-Miss., dedicated the new City-County library Sunday in ceremonies in Bay St. Louis. Lott said in communities "where the library is in some back room or some dilapidated building, in all probability, the elected officials and the rest of the community are doing about the same thing," in other local business. Progress Administration project, in two unfurnished, unheated rooms above the Hancock Bank. From the first donated 200-book collection the library hns grown to house an estimated 37,000 volumes in the new facility. The rare book room, where some 250 of the library's 400 rare volumes are on display and may be used, is dedicated to another for- mer librarian, Mrs. Adaline Samuel. The room also contains a number of prized art objects. John McKenna, chairman of the Hancock County Bicentennial Commission, Sunday presented the library board with a glass display case for the entrance lobby. Currently on exhibit there are historical items belonging to local citizens. A crowd of more than 100 turned out to see the new $360,000 debt-free facility officially opened. Circuit Judge J. Ruble Griffin, chairman of the dedication committee, presided over the brief afternoon ceremony. "i Following the dedication, Hancock County Chancery Clerk John Rutherford and Bay St. Louis Utilities Commissioner Lucien Kidd raised the flag, a gift of American Legion Post 139 of Bay St. Louis. The 9,800 square foot building, which includes a separate children's area, a rare book room and 60-seat meeting room, was designed by Bay St. Louis architect, Fred Wagner, and constructed by Geoegc P. Hopkins, Inc., Gulfport, contractors. The meeting room has been named the Louise Crawford room in honor of Miss Loui*e Crawford, first librarian, who opened a county library in 1934 as a Works
Libraries Hancock County New-Library-Dedicated-in-Bay-Saint-Louis