History of the
Rushville Public Library

By Kathleen Elizabeth Copeland

The history of the Rushville Public Library is long, rich and full of interesting events.
Many important milestones have occurred in the eighty-three years since the Rushville
Public Library was created. There is a strong library in Rushville today, thanks to the long
ago generosity of Andrew Carnegie and the hard work of the Rushville Federation of
Women . Over the years the Rushville Public Library has progressed quite nicely. Today
it is expanding with new technology and public support. This library is one of the many
treasures in Rushville. Hopefully, it will be everlasting and provide service for the
community of Rushville for another hundred years.
On April 5,1878 the Rushville Public Library Association was founded. The beginning
membership fee was three dollars and there were dues of two dollars annually. A booklet
detailing the constitution and regulations of the association was printed in the Rushville
Times in 1884 and indicated that the collection had already grown to a 1,000 titles. At
this time the Library Association reading room was located in a room above Vedder’s
Drugstore. Because the association was staffed by volunteers, the responsibility for
keeping the reading room open constantly fell to the same few individuals.1 So on
December 5, 1904 the city council voted and approved the motion to look into building and
maintaining a public library. They appointed the committee of E.S. McIllheney, John
Webster, and T.J. Noble.2 Some time later the library committee wrote an undated letter
to Andrew Carnegie asking for a library building that would cost about $ 8,000. Andrew
Carnegie was a man who, from 1889 to 1923, donated money to cities and small towns
across the United States to build 1,679 libraries. One hundred and six Carnegie libraries
were built in Illinois. To receive money from Carnegie to build a library the city had to
have a suitable building site provided and be willing to pay taxes to support the library.
On February 2, 1906 the mayor of Rushville wrote to Carnegie asking to become one of the
funded libraries. On February 13, 1906 James Bertram, Andrew Carnegie’s secretary,
responded with an offer of $5,000.4
The city council accepted the gift and on February 19,1906 passed an ordiance and
resolution establishing a library in Rushville. On March 30, 1906 an election to establish a
public library took place and the referendum passed. However, for some unknown
reason no futher action was taken at this time conserning a building..
The Rushville Women’s Federation is also one of the main reasons the library
exists.The federation was founded on February 22, 1909, when members from five reading
clubs united together to form a group. This organization was composed of many prominent
Rushville women. The women conducted a story time for younger children to come hear
various works of literature. They also provided a study club for adults. On September 28,
1909 the Women’s Federation, unaware of the previous correspondence wrote to Carnegie
asking for grant monies, Bertram wrote back and informed them that a prior offer of $
5,000 had been made three years earlier.5
J.C.K. Pierson, of Jacksonville, was appointed to design the library. During this time,
to get the grant moneys, a city had to submit the architectural building plans. Bertram
approved the plans in 1911. Although he did not care for the skyline of the front elevation
he increased the grant moneys to $ 7,500.6
The Women’s Federation was also interested in obtaining a building site. In 1910 the
city was given land on which to build the library. The warranty deed shows a piece of
land adjacent to the square, 104 North Monroe Street was donated by Frances A. Scripps
and John L. Scripps on May 17, 1910 .7
While the library was being built the construction costs turned out to be higher than the
grant monies. So, to finish the library, the Women’s Federation agreed to pay $ 400 to
complete the basement. For their generous donation the Women’s Federation was given a
32×23 room in the basement in which they would hold their meetings.
The Rushville Free Public Library was opened on Febuary 12, 1913. Several hundred
people visited the library that day. The Women’s Federation suprised the library board
by
serving frappe to the visitors in their meeting room. They also arranged to have a harpist
play in the afternoon and evening. 8
The library occupies a space of 58×25 sq. ft.. It faces east on Monroe Street in
Rushville. The top floor is one large room. When it first opened in 1913 the south wing
was the adult section and the north wing was the children’s department.9 Most of the
original children’s books were donated by the Women’s Federation. On the day of opening
the librarian ,Miss Beluh Hogsdon, was busy accessioning the first 1,500 volumes10
From 1920 to 1960 not much history was recorded. There weren’t many changes except
for librarians. After one and a half years Nora Trimble became the assistant librarian. She
later became the head librarian and served until April of 1917. Elizabeth Bell became
the assistant and served until November,1917 when Rosa Jackson was hired and served
faithfully for thirty years.
While Rosa Jackson was the librarian the library gained thousands of books. One very
special donor was a man named Albert Morris Bagby. Mr. Bagby was born in
Rushville. From 1922 to 1941 Albert Bagby donated more than 2,500 books. He also
donated statues and paintings from foreign countries. Mr. Bagby died in 1941 at the age
of eighty-one.11 He was a great man whose gifts are still honored today in the library.
Rosa Jackson retired a few years later.
In August 1947 Nellie Schultz was hired as the librarian, but in December she took a leave
of absence. Kathryn Chandler was appointed and served until 1950 when another lady
named Elizabeth Bell was was hired. She worked until 1969, when Mary Elizabeth Cole
was engaged as the librarian. At this time Beatrice Logan was the assistant librarian. She
held this position until 1972 when Marjorie Bigham was employed as the librarian.
The library expanded in a variety of ways in the 1960’s. In 1964 Chapter 81 of the
revised Statutes was rewritten and the Great Rivers Library System was established. In
1967 the Rushville Public Library joined Great Rivers Library System. The library also
expanded physically. In 1964 the Women’s Federation moved their meeting room to the
Virgina at Scripps Park. In 1972 the meeting room was refurbished. Ten years later, when
the upper level became overcrowded, the juvenile department was moved downstairs to
the meeting room. Marjorie Bigham became the children’s librarian and Linda Orstred was
appointed as the assistant librarian. Mary Elizabeth Cole retired in 1983 after serving the
community for fourteen years. Ms. Bigham took over for Mary Cole and Lisa Thompson
became the children’s librarian. Marjorie Bigham retired in 1985 with Brenda Eyler taking
her place. Ms. Eyler resigned in 1987. The current head librarian is Charlene Copeland
and the two assistant librarians are Sandy Bullard and Heather White.12
Today the library is entering the age of technology. It has eight computers. One of
which is on the Resource Sharing Alliance. This is a program that allows one to access
books from surrounding libraries off a data base CD-ROM program. Not only does the
library have a program that allows you to access books from other libraries, but it’s entire
circulation system is computerized. Every book in the library and every person who has a
library card is catalogued on a computer database. The library is constantly expanding.
Today it owns over 18,000 books. The library also currently receives over sixty different
magazines and newspapers. Today the Rushville Public Library has many programs for the
Public. In the summer it has a summer reading program once a week for about two months.
It also has a pre-school story time , which lasts for eight weeks in the spring, summer, and
fall. The library also deliveries books to the Senior Citzen’s Center and to the
Homebound. The Rushville Public Library offers many programs that enable you to read.
Hopefully people will support it and it will stay open for every one to use in the future
years.
There are many Carnegie libraries in Illinois. The Rushville Public Library happens to
be one of them. The library opened on February 12, 1913. There has been a long chain of
librarians that gave the library exceptional help. The Women’s Federation is one of the
main reasons the library is around today. Over the years the library has become very
essential in the community. In 1982 the library board was given the meeting room. Today
the library is catching up with the world in technology. The current system makes it easier
and quicker to checkout books and accession them. The Rushville Public Library also
offers a variety of programs to encourage adults and their children to read. In the past
eighty years this library has made great progress. With continued support the Rushville
Public Library will continue to meet the needs of the people of Rushville and the
surrounding community .
Notes

1.Bial, Raymond and Bial, Linda LaPuma. The Carnegie Library in Illinois. Urbana,
Illinois: University Press, 1991, 65p.

2.Rushville City Council minutes, February 19, 1906, 107p.

3. Schnell, Karen. Illinois Carnegie Libraries, from 1900-1918. Springfield, Illinois, 1993,
10p.

4.Bial, 65p.

5.History of the Rushville Women’s Federation, Rushville, Illinois: 1983, 1p.

6.Bial, 65p.

7. The Warranty Deed to the property of 104 North Monroe Street. Rushville,
Illinois: 1910.

8.Rushville Times, Rushville, Illinois: February 13, 1913.

9.Pierson, J.C.K, Architectural blueprints for the Rushville Public Library, Jacksonville,
Illinois: 1911.

10. History of the Rushville Public Library, Rushville, Illinois: 1989, 2p.

11. Gift Book for the Rushville Public Library, 1913 to 1941 unpaged.

12. History of the Rushville Public Library, 3p.