User:Juliefhildebrand/Independence Public Library

Independence Area Public Library serves the residents of USD 446 in Independence, Kansas. In 2010 the district's population was 13,540. The library is managed by a board that consists of seven members, four appointed by the mayor of the City of Independence, KS, two appointed by the USD 446 Board of Education, and one appointed by the mayor of Elk City, Kansas.

History
In 1882 The Ladies' Library Association was formed to meet the needs of the early settlers. These pioneers felt deprived of the culture that they left behind when settling in Independence, a new development built on land purchased from Chief Chetopa and built by the Oswego Land Company in Southeast Kansas.

The land that the library now sits on was purchased from Mr. Harry Ford Sinclair by the City of Independence with the goal of building a Carnegie library. On November 18, 1907, with funds from Andrew Carnegie and Mr. Stich, the Independence Public Library was open to the public. Miss Anna M. Gemmell became the first librarian and served.

In 1936 Anna Gemmell was voted out and Mabel Bays was hired to replace her as head librarian. In 1965 Mabel Bays retired and Rita Cooper was hired as head librarian. In 1984 Rita Cooper retired and Anne Jaynes was hired as head librarian. In 1991 the library got their first computer to use as the card catalog. In 1995 the library purchased their first modem and nine computers. The Internet was $7.25 per hour and because of their budget they could only allow two hours on the Internet per month. In 2000 a Quality of Life Bond issue was passed which provided funds to add an addition on to the existing Carnegie building. In 2001 Anne Jaynes retired and Pete Daniels was hired as library director. In February, 2007 the renovations and the addition to the Carnegie building were completed and the library reopened. In 2009 Pete Daniels retired and Julie Hildebrand was hired as library director. In 2012 the Independence Public Library was named the Best Small Library in America by the Library Journal and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.