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The public library,
a
potentially important player
in community economic
development,
is one of the oldest
institutions on Main Street.
Libraries are fundamental
community institutions
founded to meet the
information needs of
individuals. Today, our
economy depends, as never
before, on information. To
succeed in the information
economy, individuals must be
skilled in obtaining and
analyzing information. This
gives libraries, and
librarians, new
opportunities to contribute
to their communities'
economic development
efforts. Successful
community development is
fueled by current,
appropriate information. And
libraries, even in very
small towns, have much of
that information.
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A Brief
History
The
Tunkhannock Public Library was established in
1890. It moved into the old Triton Hose House
on Marion St. in 1911 with just 338 books. In
the spring of 1999, the Board of Trustees began
a Capital Campaign to raise $1,500,000.
Groundbreaking took place in August of 2000 and
a new 12,500 square-foot state of the art
building opened for business in May of 2001.
The Library has grown over
the years to become an important community
center that provides free access to information,
education, and entertainment for all the
residents of Wyoming County.
It has over 30,000 catalogued
items including books, books on tape, videos,
and CD's. It has twelve computers for public
use, all with Internet access.
It has a Community Room that
seats up to 100 and is available to be used by
local organizations.
Capital Campaign Project
In May of 1999, the Tunkhannock Public
Library began a Capital Campaign to raise $1,500,000 to build a new
library. The campaign was overwhelmingly successful.
In just over a year, enough funds were pledged to begin construction.
In six months, the building was complete and the new facility opened for business in
May of 2001. In the first six months, circulation increased 33%
and the Community Room was
used by close to 50 non-profit groups. The new library quickly became a real asset to Wyoming County. |
