L.S. Navarre Branch Library

Hours

Monday: 1:00 pm-7:00 pm 

Tuesday: 10:00 am-7:00 pm 

Wednesday - Thursday: 1:00 pm-7:00 pm 

Friday: 1:00 pm-5:00 pm 

Saturday: 10:00 am-2:00 pm 

History

For 60 years the Lillian Stewart Navarre Branch Library has provided service to the City of Monroe. Originally named the East Side Branch Library, it was established in 1937 as a reading room housed in the Trekow Building at 3rd and Eastchester Streets. Library service was undertaken as a joint project of the Monroe School Board, the Dorsch Memorial Library staff, and the Salvation Army under the direction of Captain Alex Stenhouse. While the School Board provided the maintenance, the Dorsch staff undertook supervision. The first librarians provided by the Salvation Army included Mrs. Stenhouse and Lieutenant May Denis.

In April 1938, the city Board of Education took over supervision and maintained the facility as a branch of its Dorsch Memorial Library. During its first year of operation, the library housed a total of 2,500 books consisting of public donations and selections from the Dorsch branch. From the outset storytimes were an important component, serving an average of 73 children in the 15' X 30' room.

Children's programming over this time has established a special relationship between the community, the Library, and the Arthur Lesow Community Center. Current branch librarian Amber Reed maintains close ties to the community to serve the needs of neighborhood schools, businesses, and the general public.