Dayton Memorial Library History

By Friends of the Dayton Memorial Library President Pearl Dennis

I go into my library and all history unrolls before me. - Alexander Smith

Maintaining a thriving library within a rural community relies on committed individuals who are driven by a desire to improve their communities. Dayton has been blessed with a long line of civic-minded individuals dedicating their time, energy and resources towards developing and building the Columbia County Rural Library District.

The history of the Dayton library dates back to 1919 when a small “self-improvement” club, the Elizabeth Forrest-Day Club, dedicated their efforts to establishing a public library within the town. These ambitious women never wavered in their dedication to the Dayton community while they raised funds, stocked and staffed a reading room on Main Street, eventually purchased a vacant lot and acquired the personal libraries of two predominant Dayton citizens.

Finally, after gaining further support from the state governor and a generous personal donation, the Dayton Memorial Library opened in October 1937. With the public library organized and funding established thru the city, the members of the Elizabeth Forest-Day Club turned their attention to supplying furnishings and books along with volunteering librarian hours. The dedication of these women provided the foundation for the public library that outlived them all.

In 2005, history repeats itself when another small group of women dedicate themselves to the betterment of the larger community by addressing the issue of a low-funded public library. The formation of a countywide library district, funded by the citizens of Columbia County, was the objective goal.

After much hard work driven by a passion for a dynamic public library, success was achieved in 2008, with the creation of the Columbia County Rural Library District (CCRLD); in 2009, the Dayton Memorial Library annexed from the City of Dayton to Columbia County. To quote Diane Longanecker, a member of the aforementioned group, “A page in history has been turned. Finally, the library has been set on a secure, stable track, and the work of all who came before us has been honored.”

The library work continues today with the support of a new group of dedicated citizens, still passionate about providing dynamic services to the community. The Friends of the Dayton Memorial Library (FOL) group engages in fundraising activities to support important programs, such as the Summer Reading Program, and to improve the facility, including Delany Building enhancements and the outside access ramps. The group provides treats for programs, for inclusion in the Binge Boxes, and sometimes to the random, lucky patron.

Just as the good works of those earlier women live on, the benefit of the library support and enhancements made today will live on for future generations. You can help carry on that legacy for the benefit of the whole community. The Friends of the Dayton Memorial Library group invites all interested community members to join them, meeting in the Delany Room at 10 a.m. on the second Friday of each month.

Additionally, a “Friends of the Friends” list is being created for those community members that would like to support the work of the group but cannot be at the monthly meetings. Leave your name and contact information at the library front desk to keep updated.