Regular Hours:Monday: 9am-6pm
Tuesday: 9am-5pm
Wednesday: 9am-5pm
Thursday: 9am-5pm
Friday: 9am-2pm
Saturday: Closed
Sunday: Closed
Summer schedule until August
Contact Information:Phone: (870) 633-5646
Fax: (870) 633-5647
Email: here
Map: here
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Library
History
The Forrest City Public Library was established in 1921 when a group of local
women, known as the Community Service Circle, gathered together a total of five
hundred donated books. These women found support through the Forrest City Elks
Club, whose members offered a storeroom in their clubhouse to amass the books.
The ladies were allowed to lend books on the condition that they keep the
"library" open six days a week, so that bathroom facilities could be maintained
for rural women during their trips to town. A small tea was served daily, and
for twenty-five cents, you could purchase tea and sandwich or a slice of cake.
This first library was forced to close after a couple of years due to a lack of
funding.
The
library opened again in 1927, thanks to the efforts of Mr. Sam Mann (pictured),
a prominent local judge and attorney. Mr. Mann offered a donation of five
hundred dollars per year for five years to purchase new books, but only if the
city would pay a librarian and utilities. At this time, the community residents
were asked to pay a yearly subscription fee of eight dollars to help cover
expenses. These stipulations were met, the Elks Club again offered their
storeroom, and the library opened under the direction of Miss Louise Turley.
Mr. Mann's interest in the library grew, and he renewed his five hundred dollar
pledge for another five years. He was also the driving force behind the
construction of the library building. In 1936, Mr. Mann had architects develop
plans. Mr. J. M. Dennis had already willed his home place to the city for a
community park. With plans developed and land to build on, Mr. Mann went to
Washington, D.C., seeking funds from the Public Works Administration (PWA). It
took many
trips,
but in 1938, funds were finally allocated for 45% of the building costs. Sadly,
neither Mr. Mann nor his wife lived to see the funds allocated or the library
built. Mrs. Mann (pictured) passed away in 1936; Mr. Mann died in 1937. A
library committee was formed, headed by Mr. A. L. Hutchins. Also serving
on that first committee were: Mrs. Oliver N. Warren, W.W. Campbell, S. J. Dean,
Mrs. McClinton Norton, A. C. Bridewell, and Gazzola Vaccaro.
The Forrest City Public Library moved to its new home on Washington Street in
April of 1939 at a cost of $25,000. PWA funded their 45%, with the rest
financed by local bonds with a twenty-year maturity. The Forrest City Garden
Club landscaped the grounds, a full quarter block. The building was and still
is owned by the city. Employee salaries, utilities, and maintenance were the
responsibility of the city under a contract that lasted until 1994. Books and
library equipment were purchased from donations, memorials, and patron
subscriptions. Some were
also given as gifts from private citizens or civic organizations, a custom that
exists to this day.
The library grew, due to the direction and dedication of some very fine women:
Mrs. Charles Buford, Mrs. F. L. Proctor, Mrs. Mervyn Ragland, Ms. Marie Routon,
and Mrs. Pat Long. There is a long list of assistant staff members and an even
longer list of volunteers. The governing body of the library has been a
rotation list of civic-minded patrons, plus the librarians. This group of
people make up the Board of Trustees. Perhaps the most-noted board member was
Mrs. Alice Harrison (pictured), grand-daughter of Mr. & Mrs. Sam Mann. Mrs. Harrison
served as treasurer on the library board for thirty-five years.
One
of the most notable ladies was Mrs. F. L. (Annie B.) Proctor (pictured), who
served as librarian from 1931 until her semi-retirement in 1958. During that
time, the library grew from 500 volumes to over 12,500. Mrs. Proctor had a pet
project called The Arkansas Collection - over 1300 separate listings, all
claiming a portion of Arkansas History. No one knows where all these materials
were obtained - Mrs. Proctor always said it was "better not to ask." There are
some very rare volumes, some under lock and key, but all are available to
library patrons. It is considered one of the most valuable collections in the
state.
In 1976, after forty years of collecting materials, the library boasted some
24,000 books, furnishings, and office equipment - it was time to expand. A new
addition was built across the back of the existing structure. This addition,
which doubled the square footage, provided complete rooms for children's
fiction, adult fiction, non-fiction, and The Arkansas Room. Library
subscription fees were still required, and they were raised to $15 per year.
There was more growth in 1986. A large office pod was constructed behind the
circulation desk for the technical assistants, and a smaller pod was built for
the librarian's private office. With these additions, extra shelf space was
developed for the video department and the audio collections. These
improvements were made available through donations, funding from The United Way,
and strict budgeting by the library staff. These were still years of
relatively slow growth. Books were bought from donations, memorials, and book
rentals. Then, in 1993, the citizens of Forrest City passed a 2-mil property tax
to finance the library. That same tax issue was voted down by St. Francis
County residents, which is why they still must pay an annual user fee of fifteen
dollars.
Today, the library is open over forty hours per week. The original 1939 building is still in use,
though there is now some 4200 square feet of space. We now have over
30,000 circulating materials, computers with Internet access, video and audio
collections, and many other services. Most importantly, we come to work
each day with the knowledge of dedicated ancestors whose determination and ambition
was to see Forrest City and its library grow and prosper, and with the responsibility
to see their dreams continue to come true.