Its founding can be traced back to the year Dr. Suess wrote “Green Eggs and Ham,” Harper Lee penned To Kill a Mockingbird, and thanks to Sheila Burnford, we embarked on The Incredible Journey with a Labrador retriever, bull terrier and a Siamese cat through the Canadian wilderness.
In the summer of 1960, children in Lindsborg were reading books and making a lifetime connection to stories found on the shelf at a small library located on Main Street where the Ivory Thimble resides today. A group of visionary ladies borrowed 200 books from the South Central Kansas Library System and helped 316 children obtain their first library cards.
Now sixty years later, the Lindsborg Community Library boasts over 30,000 books, movies, magazines, inter-library loan selections and free internet access to its patrons.
According to Library Director Suzanna Swenson, timely grants have helped pay for new computers, book shelves, interior paint, exterior lighting and new asphalt for the back parking area on the library’s east side. There’s much to celebrate in this 60th year!
Mural artist Meghan Klaassen grew up in Marquette, attended Smoky Valley, and graduated from Bethany College. She now works in Salina in the health field. Residents may remember seeing Meghan and Katie Stiebens painting the walls near the Öl Stuga, advertising a couple of Broadway RFD productions with murals for Beauty And The Beast and The Wizard of Oz. She’s thankful for all the community members who have helped with the painting and moving the scaffolding so she can reach the top of the library building.
Here’s what’s happening at the library this week!
Library 60th Birthday Rundown:
Safe Celebration! Friendly reminder: masks are required inside the building and patrons are asked to observe social distancing measures.
Quest for Treasure, Cake
• Treasure Hunt: 60 photographs from the past 60 years of the Library have been hidden throughout the Library. Treasure hunt “maps” will be available to help you track how many you have found; finding 10 photographs earns a $1 gift certificate to the book sale and finding all 60 photographs earns a $5 gift certificate to the book sale.
• Birthday Treats: We are celebrating our 60th birthday and so is Little Debbie! Visit our reception table for an individually wrapped snack cake: birthday cake or chocolate fudge. You are welcome to take yours to go or remove your mask to eat in one of our designated locations.
Super Book Sale Saturday All remaining books from the earlier Friends of the Lindsborg Library sale are available for Buy One, Get One Free pricing!