Rib Lake Public Library

History of the Rib Lake Public Library

On February 6, 1900 the Free Library Association was established and the officers elected: President - E. C. Getchell, Vice President - Vr. William Pringle, Secretary - Mrs. J.E. Kennedy, Treasurer - Mrs. A.M. Corbett. February 9, 1900 the constitution was written and committees were formed: Finance, Room, Book & Magazine, and Library Service.

The Executive Committee motioned on March 3, 1900 to purchase the building known as the "Old Harness Shop" owned by Mr. Knower for $50. Another motion was made to purchase the north half of Lot_ Block_ of McComb Racing Park Addition for the price of $50 with $10 down payment, the balance to be paid within two years. The money to purchase the building, lot, and books was raised initially through a school district play, "Rebecca's Triumph" ($60.73) in April of 1900. A Japanese social, Ice Cream social, Election Day Dinner, Lectures, and donations all raised money in the year 1900.Miss Scott's pupils gave a small sum, a high tea raised money, cookbook sales, pillow sales, a strawberry social and a leap year party all rasied dollars for the library in the first years of existence. The fist librarians in the year 1901 were Mr. Edwards and Mr. Byers. Miss Anna Mae Kennedy was librarian beginning in 1903.

The village of Rib Lake first donated support to the library in 1906 in the sum of $50 and thereafter gave fairly consistently. The village took over the building responsibility in 1927 when the old red brick building built by W.F. Weaver was opened on February 25.  The same year the Village Hall on McComb and the addition to the old high school building was added. Catherine Kennedy was the librarian at that time.

County support for the library began in 1946, and in 1957 the town of Rib Lake donated support.

In June of 1996 the Rib lake Public Library board received 3% of Mildred Schmidt Estate and in 1998, 10% of the Keith Zintz estate. A letter of interest from the village board to prchase the Clearview property was given to the school board in October of 1999. The village board and library board met together in May of 2000 to discuss feasibility of space, cost, and sharing the building. The Village closed on the Clearview property September 1st, 2000. Renovation by O'Donnell Engineering and Wittman Construction began in May of 2001 and completed that August.

From 360 to more than 5,000 square feet in a 100 year span to house many services and a collection of 25,000 materials, the Rib Lake Public Library goes beyond the walls from e-books to and automated web based system catalog (V-Cat).