Oskaloosa Library Building Recognized While Welcoming New Maker Space
Oskaloosa, Iowa – Former Oskaloosa Mayor Tom Rielly was the master of the ceremony this past week as the Carnegie Library in Oskaloosa was recognized on the Historic Building Marker program.
Also of significance was the dedication of the Kim (Gigi) Blackwell Memorial Makerspace.
The maker space is where the young people of Oskaloosa and Mahaska County learn 21st Century skills in the latest technologies and grow in science, technology, engineering, and math. (STEM)
“As the library leans into the future, it is with extreme gratitude to the Blackwell family and all those who have contributed to the Memorial Library Makerspace in honor of Kim “Gigi” Blackwell.”
Rielly, speaking of a recent visit by the Iowa DOT Commission to Oskaloosa about what’s going on in Oskaloosa. “I think it really kind of reflects to what you all are doing here tonight.”
“It really shows a lot of pride in our community, and I think it’s great,” added Rielly.
During the program, historical marker project member Calvin Bandstra spoke about how the grounds that make up the Oskaloosa library ended up serving the community. Two families ultimately contributed to the grounds, the Evans family and the Rouse family.
Nancy Brown, a member of the Friends of the Library, and former board member for the library, spoke next.
Brown took those in attendance on a trip back in time to when the Harper Library Association formed the first library in the 1850s.
She chronicled its path from those days after the Harper Library Association donated hundreds of volumes to the Oskaloosa High School Library.
In 1887 the YMCA started to accumulate a library for their members and had 700 volumes.
That same year, Virginia Knight Logan, among other women, started to organize the Oskaloosa Women’s Club to create a public library. By 1895 the funding for that goal was started.
The YMCA and the Oskaloosa Women’s Club conferred, and the YMCA turned over all their books and equipment at no charge.
The organization then invested other donated money from the PEO Chapter, The Elks Lodge, The Rathbone Sisters, and others.
In 1900, the library was turned over to the City of Oskaloosa.
Diana Pearson took the next step of the journey, telling how the library received the grant to build.
Andrew Carnegie had begun to disburse his wealth and had outlined requirements for eligibility to receive grants to build a library.
Those included that the local government provide the building site, demonstrate need, draw from pubic funds to run the library, and provide free service to all.
In Iowa between the years of 1892 and 1919, 104 Iowa communities applied for Carnegie funds, with 101 of those being accepted after meeting the above-stated requirements and were ultimately built.
In 1902 the Oskaloosa Library was notified it would receive $20,000 from the Carnegie Corporation to build a new library.
Frank Weatherall was tasked with designing the new building, his first such major commission.
In 1905, an additional $2500 grant was given by Carnegie to finish the second story of the building.
Today, just 48 Carnegie libraries are still used as libraries across Iowa, with Oskaloosa being one.
Julie Hanson spoke about the expansion of the library to what we see today.
Electrical issues and ADA compliance were just some of the problems being faced by the library, and there were discussions about building a new library. A lot by the old junior high school was purchased for that purpose.
Eventually, it was decided to build on to the existing library, with the funds coming from the sales tax.
Rielly closed out the evening, addressing why the family decided to donate to the library in Kim Blackwell’s honor.
Kim was a voracious reader that loved books and was a supporter of the library. Kim also loved kids, and the family decided on the maker space to honor her legacy.
With that, tours were offered of the new space, while friends and family shared memories with each other.
