75th Anniversary & History of Teton County Library
Teton County Library celebrates our 75th year as a public library in 2013!
Our official birthday is January 8 1938, but as we open the library’s Addition and Renovation, we plan to keep the revelry going all year round by celebrating a special theme for each month in 2013. We started with the question “What do you find at the library that improves your quality of life?“ From the list of words people shared, we choose a theme to focus on each month.
“With the opening of our library addition and renovation, our 75th anniversary is a great opportunity for us to invite people in to discover all of the ways the library can help them fulfill their potential in the community,” said Deb Adams, Library Director. To learn more about the 75th celebration, visit http://www.tclib.org/75.
Of course, any kind of anniversary prompts the question, what is Teton County Library’s history?
Landmarks & Brief History of Teton County Library
May 1915: St. John’s Public Library opened its doors in St. John’s House in Jackson.
January 8, 1938: The Teton County Library opened in a room in the American Legion Hall.
December 1990: “Space Needs Assessment” recommends a 23,500 -25,000 sq ft library be planned.
April 1991: Library Board purchased 3.7 acres of land; Private fundraising supplied $400,000 for the purchase
November 1992: Will Bruder was chosen as the architect for the project.
August 1994: The Capital Facilities Tax, provided funding for the planning, construction, and equipping of the new 24,000 square foot library.
September 1997: The library at 125 Virginian Lane was opened.
August 2008: Voter approved the library’s initial proposition on the Specific Purpose Excise Tax (SPET) ballot which asked for $1.5 million for the planning, design, engineering and initial construction costs of an addition to the main library facility at 125 Virginian Lane.
September 2009: Gilday Architects with Humphries/Poli Architects chosen for the project.
August 2010: voters approved the library’s second Specific Purpose Excise Tax proposition of $8.45 million for the actual construction of the addition and renovation.
March 2011: GE Johnson is selected as Construction Manager for the project.
July 2012: New Youth Wing opens with new Teen & Children’s areas.
January 2013: Library Addition and Renovation Project Complete. Main Wing renovation and Public Art installation complete.
The valley’s library tradition goes back as far as May 1915 when St. John’s Public Library opened its doors in St. John’s House in Jackson. With an initial membership of $1.00 and an annual fee of 50 cents, a paying patron could choose from a collection of more than 600 volumes. Years later, the hard work and inspiration of three valley women sowed the seeds for the Teton County Library. Helen Benson, Edith Mercill and Stella Weston began selling subscriptions for a lending library in the 1930s, but they were soon overwhelmed by the needs of the community. County Commissioners appointed the first Library Board, consisting of Benson, Mercill, Weston, Hattie Erzinger and Charles Kratzer. The Teton County Library opened on January 8, 1938 in a room in the American Legion Hall. The board also hired its first librarian Juliane Tanner from Laramie, Wyoming.
As far back as the late 1980’s the Library Board was aware of the growing need to expand the Library. In December of 1990, the Board hired professional library planners to conduct a “Space Needs Assessment” which recommended that a new library be planned that was 23,500 to 25,000 square feet with room for expansion.
In April of 1991, the Library Board purchased 3.7 acres of land from Gene Brown. Private fund-raising supplied over $400,000 for the purchase of the land. The site was an excellent location for the new library.
In November of 1992, Will Bruder was chosen as the architect for the project. The Capital Facilities Tax, which would provide funding for the planning, construction, and equipping of the new 24,000 square foot library, was passed on August 16, 1994. The library at 125 Virginian Lane opened in September of 1997.
SPET
In August 2008, voters approved the library’s initial proposition on the Specific Purpose Excise Tax (SPET) ballot which asked for $1.5 million for the planning, design, engineering and initial construction costs of an addition to the main library facility at 125 Virginian Lane. Then in August 2010, voters approved the library’s second Specific Purpose Excise Tax proposition of $8.45 million for the actual construction of the addition and renovation.
The Library Addition & Renovation Project
The voter-approved library project includes an 11,000-square-foot addition and renovation of the previous 24,000-square-foot building, parking lot and outdoor areas. The building project has created more space for reading and study, computers and technology, community meeting rooms, and dedicated teen and children’s areas, which are separated from quieter library spaces. We are planning for Silver LEED certification. The library’s existing electrical, data and building systems were replaced, upgraded and modernized. Architects on the project were Gilday Architects with Humphries/Poli Architects, and Construction Manager was GE Johnson.
The Teton County Library is a county agency whose board is appointed by the Teton County Commissioners. Primary funding for the library is through county property taxes. The Teton County Library Foundation provides supplemental funds through patron donations and grants. The Teton County Library Friends contribute a wide range of volunteer services in support of the library’s programs and operations.
