Winn's First Library, Winn Parish, LA ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ********************************************** Submitted by Greggory E. Davies, 120 Ted Price Lane, Winnfield, LA 71483 >From the April 5, 1940 Winnfield News-American Fight For Library Began in '85 With Opening of First School Talks before public groups, person to person conversation, posters distributed about town and country and publicity in many other ways; these are signs of Winn Parish's fight to make April 16 a day that will be remembered as the time a great step forward was made by the parish. It's the fight for continuing the life of the three-year-old public library. It's not a new battle, but a part of an old one. Winn Parish didn't begin fighting for its public library in the spring of 1940, but back in the fall of '85. But the Tri-Parish Library is only three years old, you say. Or is it? Interest in reading good books did not begin in 1937 when the state decided to see if Louisianans liked to read. This interest has no birth date, but it was first manifested when Professor Edward Davies and his wife {Adella A. "Rena" Cowsert}, and Miss Ida Milling opened the doors to Winnfield's first school. In that first, 1885, session, a plea for books arose; and the demand grew as time passed by. Realizing the importance of good books in making good citizens, the public responded as best it could. Organizations began sponsoring suppers, spelling bees, and womanless weddings, raising funds to supplement the limited finances of the school board for purchasing reading material. The school children of that time loved to read, and appreciated the interest and efforts of public in helping them to have library books. School libraries were the only ones available except the few privately owned collections which the owners always kept available to their friends. Old records tell of group meetings held from time to time to discuss the possibility of a public library. The Delphian Society made an initial step forward when a librarian from a distant city addressed the group. However, despite the interest and enthusiasm, a library failed to materialize because of lack of sufficient funds. Members of another organization, the Social Twenty, enjoyed reading a small collection of books they purchased and circulated to the public. A book club was later organized, and books were read, for 10 cents a day. Exchanged of books were common occurrences, and lawyers opened their libraries to struggling students. In February 1934, the local Parent-Teacher Association called a special meeting to discuss promoting library service. Miss Essae M. Culver, executive secretary of the Louisiana Library Commission, and Dr. Mary Mims, extension sociologist of L. S. U., addressed the large crowd attending the meeting, and outlined the procedure for the establishment of libraries. Miss Culver also told how the services of the L. L. C. could be obtained. On this inspiration the P. T. A. went to work. A slogan, "We Want A Library In Winnfield," became the banner, and other civic groups came to its aid. Parish and city officials gave their support, the Emergency Relief Administration agreed to furnish labor for building the shelves and furnish a librarian if a suitable room could be found. The P. T. A. ladies worked harder, solicited funds for many weeks, and on December 6, 1934 a neat library room with a large collection of books was opened to the public. located in the building owned by Mr. H. B. Bozeman on West Main Street. Popularity came to the library overnight, and demands on it mushroomed upward. More pleas were made by the P. T. A. and the American Legion Auxiliary, and general delight met the announcement that Winn Parish had been selected as a suitable location for a library demonstration to be carried on without cost to the parish. On June 12, 1937, this became a reality, and headquarters to the Tri-Parish Library was placed at Winnfield, whose citizens felt well rewarded for their efforts. Progress failed to stop at this date, however, or even to halt. Branch libraries sprang up over the parish. Library service was made available to everyone in all rural sections by the institution of the bookmobile. Now, only three years old, more than a third of the people in the three parishes are regular borrowers from the library, with each borrower reading approximately 20 volumes during a year. More than 18,000 volumes are on the shelves of the public library in the three parishes, and they are distributed to the public by a staff of trained librarians assisted by a corps of WPA employees. With this as a background, is it not easy to understand why Winn Parish is making such a fight for its public library? (Submitted by Greggory Ellis Davies, Winnfield, Winn Parish, LA., great grandson of the Dr. Edward Davies mentioned in this article, principal of Winnfield's first school, the Winnfield Male and Female School, and later of the Gansville School.)