Preble County District Library

West Alexandria Library

The mission of the West Alexandria Library is to provide the community with material and resources needed to enrich their lives with knowledge and entertainment through a variety of formats and to provide information concerning local organizations and services.

West Alexandria libarary

16 N. Main Street, Town Hall, West Alexandria, Ohio 45381
Phone: (937) 839-4915 Fax: (937) 839-4209

Hours

Monday: 12 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Tuesday: 1 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Wednesday: 12 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Friday: 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Saturday: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Closed Sundays

Archive Hours
Monday and Wednesday: 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

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History

The Round Table Club was organized in 1896 as a literary club to study literature, historical events, lives of outstanding men and women, and current events. Due to the inability to secure materials for these studies and the desire for reading material, the club was instrumental in setting up the first public library in West Alexandria.

The library was located in the Herman Glander store, now the Corner Cupboard, around 1905, and had 200 volumes. Miss Louise Bowers, the store sales lady, became the first librarian. When Mr. Glander sold the store, the library was moved into a two story building which housed village offices. It was on the same site as the present Town Hall. The library occupied the north upstairs room, and members of the Round Table Club took turns acting as librarian on Saturday afternoons.

No one is quite sure what became of the library and its books when the Town Hall was built. Some residents think the books were given to the school library.

There appears to have been no library until 1936 when a group of citizens decided the village needed a public library. In January of 1937, Mayor Ed Rinck appointed Frank E. Rinehart, Charles Benson, Truman Stewart, Mae Swift, Mary Deem and Hazel Block as Library Board members. The first money for books was allotted the following year. At that time, Mrs. Fran Holcomb was hired as librarian to work two hours a week for 50 cents a week. The library was located in the Commercial Room above the Twin Tavern until it moved to 21 W. Dayton Street in the Lange apartment in 1939.

Direct community donations supported the library financially until 1940 when Ohio enacted the Intangible Tax for library support.

In 1941 the library expanded service to six hours a week. In 1952 the library occupied the Council Room of the Town Hall, until 1956, when permission by Village Council and the generosity of community groups and businesses allowed for the renovation of the former auditorium of the Town Hall where it is currently located.

In 1959 the library helped form the Preble County District Library system. That year, the West Alexandria Branch owned 8,500 books and had a circulation of 18,350 items.

Librarians include: Miss Louise Bowers 1905-19??, 1944-1945; Mrs. Fran Holcomb 1938-1941; Mrs. Jennie Bowers 1942; Mrs. Jessie Hill 1942-1944; Miss Grace Meyer 1944-1948; Mrs. Ruby Campbell 1948-1953; Mrs. Rebecca Wysong 1953-1969; Mrs. Dorothy Gardner 1969-1977; Mrs. Carol Reckers 1977- 1986; Mrs. Diane Knaff 1986-1998; Mrs. LouAnn Perry, 1998-2000; Mrs. Patricia Dillman 2000; Mrs. Nancy Hannah, 2000-2005; Mrs. Suzanne Pontius, 2005-2008; Mrs. Michelle Laughlin, 2008-.