"The silent influence of books, is a mighty power in
the world, and there is a joy in reading them known only to those who read them with
desire and enthusiasm".
Through the windows of the two story frame building came the steady hum of
a sawmill and the whistle of a train engine pulling into a station. This building was
located at West End Avenue and the railroad tracks. It was the depot for the Georgia,
Ashburn, Sylvester, and Camilla railroad, commonly called "The Gas Line".
In addition to housing the railroad company's executive offices, the depot also provided a
club-room for the Ashburn Sewing Club. Here those pretty young matrons sewed, served lunch
to the members of the Lions Club to raise funds for their projects and planned the future
of their town. Their dream was to have a public library in Ashburn.
Netta Shingler, president of the club, had come to Ashburn had come to Ashburn from
Vineland, New Jersey to teach music in the Public Schools. She soon met and married
Herbert I. Shingler, son of Emma Shipman Baldwin and J.S. Shingler, Sr. One of the pioneer
families of Ashburn and Turner County.
One day in the early 1920's Netta's mother, Mrs G. W. Jacobs, was a guest at the sewing
club and suggested to the girls that they each buy a book and circulate them among
themselves and other interested friends. The young ladies were delighted with the
plan and had their books ready for circulation within a few days and the public library for
Turner County was born.
Interest grew as well as the collection of books. The little library was housed in various
locations in those days: The Depot Club Room, Lions Club House, the City Hall, and the old
Ashburn Bank Building and probably more.
Library patrons were asked to pay ten cents per month for a library membership and the
ladies who served as librarian during these years were: Mrs. K.P. Baker served from March
1925 to July 1927, Mrs. Rebecca Cooper from July 1927 to February 1930, Mrs.
J.R. Whittier
from February 1930 to October 1931, Mrs. J.R. Greer from October 1931 to July 1932.
These civic minded ladies received $1.00 per year for their services.
In 1932 the City of Ashburn, at a public auction, bought the lot on College Street for
$128.72. With the help of public donations and President Roosevelt's Relief Programs for
the unemployed, during the depression, the W.P.A. and the city built a Community House and
later added a little back room for the Library. The little library had finally found a
home.
The Ashburn Women's Club had been organized by this time and as all Federated Women's
Clubs were doing throughout America, this club also sponsored the public library. They
supported it monetarily and with volunteer workers as needed. A committee was appointed to
find a permanent librarian now that the library seemed to be putting down roots.
"Miss Netta" Shingler now active in the Women's Club was chairman of this
committee. They asked Miss Victoria Evans, Women's Club President, to be permanent
librarian.
"Miss Vic" as she was affectionately called accepted this position with her
usual charm. She was the daughter of Ella Bohannon and John West Evans. The Evans family
was one of the very early settlers of the Ashburn Community.
Victoria had been a rather frail person most of her young life, and the story is told that
after she became librarian, she loved her work so much, she never suffered ill health
again. This adds more proof to the old theory that one should enjoy their work. Miss Evans
became librarian in August 1932 and retired on June 30, 1952. She worked devotedly for the
growth and progress of the library for so little or no pay. After several years,
"Miss Netta" Shingler's voice was to be heard again for the library. As Library
Trustee and first Treasurer of the board, she went before the County Commissioners and
asked for a salary of $50.00 per month for the librarian. She got it.
During those early years books stations were set up throughout the county, in Rebecca,
Sycamore, Dakota, Coverdale, and any location where a store or home had been made
available for a book deposit. Miss Evans , with an Assistant to drive her, would take boxes
of books to these locations, always picking up one collection and leaving another to be
circulated among the people of that area. In those days it was not always easy for people
to come to Ashburn to check out library books, so the library took the books to the
people. This practice continued until the Regional Library System was formed and the
bookmobile service began in rural areas.
In 1953 Victoria Evans was to receive the outstanding recognition of having the library
named for her. It became The Victoria Evans Memorial Library. This honor, so well
deserved, was brought about by an act of the City Council and the Mayor of Ashburn,
W.C. Jarman, Jr. Victoria Evans died May 19, 1955.
About 1935 the state of Georgia issued an act to provide for establishment and maintenance
of public libraries to be supported by their county or city revenue. Turner County and the
city of Ashburn have since been the supporting agencies for the library. Library Trustees,
appointed by these agencies formed the library board, which became the governing body.
This board is always made up of a County Commissioner, the City Mayor, the County School
Superintendent and a representative from each section of the county.
Mrs. Lois Doss, "Miss Vic's" library assistant and a board member, became the
librarian in June 1952. A native of Wilcox County, she came to Ashburn when she married
John Doss. They had two children, Dorothy and J.C. Jr. Mrs. Doss served as librarian for
two years retiring in September 1954.
Martha Holland followed Mrs. Doss as librarian, also a library trustee, Martha had come
from Thomaston, Georgia as the bride of Julian Holland, son of Mr. and Mrs. Clarence
Holland. Martha and Julian had two children, Anne and Tommy Holland.
During Martha Holland's administration, the Coastal Plain Regional Library System was
formed in 1956 with Mr. Phil Ogilvie as Director. The Counties forming the region were
Turner, Tift, Irwin, Berrien, and Cook. The regional headquarters are in the Rural Life
Building on the campus of Abraham Baldwin College in Tifton. By 1975 all counties in
Georgia were part of a Regional or County Library System.
In 1943 Georgia formed the Library Extension Service and appropriated one hundred thousand
dollars for state aid to public libraries. Each county library was then given a book
allotment, based on the size of the county. The larger the county the larger the
allotment.
Martha Holland retired in September 1958 after serving four years as librarian.
Madge Rouse , who had served as a Library Trustee since 1951, became the librarian in
September 1958. She was a native of Evanston, Illinois and came to Ashburn with her
husband, Samuel C. Rouse Jr., of Sylvester, Georgia. Following his service with the United
States Navy, Sam built the Ashburn Food Store and was to own and operate it for thirty
four years. The Rouses have one daughter, Sharon (Mrs. Bob Bailey) and two grandchildren,
Jessica Bailey, and Robin Bailey of Sylvester, Georgia.
The library, still located in the little back room of the community House with a card
table for a circulation desk, was becoming a bit crowded. In 1960, when John Arthur
Holloway was county School Superintendent and chairman of the library board, he appointed
a committee of the librarian, Madge Rouse, and several board members, to go before the
City Council and Mayor Austin Scott to ask for space in the building for library
expansion. Mayor Scott and the council members, judicious enough to see the need, gave the
large front room of the building for library use. The little room in the back then became
the public meeting room and in 1969 the library took over the entire building and has
progressively grown in circulation and services.
Mr. Phil Ogilive left the Region as Director in 1957 and was replaced by Carlton
Thaxton,
a young and dedicated Director, who contributed much to the success of the Coastal Plain
Regional Library. At the death of Mrs. Lucille Nix, Director of the Division of Public
Library Service with the State Department of Education in Georgia, Carlton Thaxton was
promoted to that position. Thought he moved to Atlanta to assume his new duties, he never
lost touch with his Coastal Plain Regional Library friends.
Mr. Walter Johnson, Director of the Abraham Baldwin College replaced Mr. Thaxton as
Regional Director in 1968 and the region continues to accomplish the impossible under his
direction.
Each year the five county libraries, with their staff and board members, City and County
officials meet with the Regional Staff for an annual meeting. The Director gives an annual
report of the year's accomplishments, and future goals. There is a speaker of prominence,
a dinner and a good exchange of ideas. Each county takes its turn acting as host for this
meeting. This makes a strong region and the result is better library service.
Each county is host every five years. Turner County was host in 1979. The meeting was held
at the High school cafeteria and the guest speaker was Mrs. Betty Talmadge, former Betty
Shingler of Ashburn. Mrs Farrel Flake and her lunchroom staff prepared and served the
buffet dinner. The first annual meeting held in Turner County, was in May 1964 when Mrs.
Walter T. Johnston, was the speaker. In April 1969, Mr. Harry Crews, well known author,
was our guest speaker. His mother, Mrs. James Turner of Ashburn, was a library trustee at
the time. Austin Saxon, editor of the Wiregrass Farmer and library trustee since 1941, was
the speaker at the 1974 annual meeting. Austin, unsurpassed for his wit and skill in
public speaking has been a loyal supporter of the library program for more than thirty
years.
About 1965-66, this library received its first allotment of $600.00 from Federal Funds,
created by the Library Service Act. This money was spent on carpet for the main room of
the library to add better and more shelving and equipment as the funds had to be spent on
library improvements and could not be used on routine operation.
The Comprehensive Employment Training Act came into being in the early 1960's. This
Federal Program, known as CETA was to provide the first library high school assistants and
continue to do so until 1979.
The library participated in the 1975 Bicentennial observance by planting a "Liberty
Tree" on the front, west lawn. (In the Revolutionary War days, the Colonial rallying
cry was "Lets meet at the Liberty Tree".) Board members who planted the sturdy
young oak were: Mayor Clyde Hobby, Sr., D.C. Royal, Austin Saxton, Mrs. Lois Corbett, Mrs.
Edna Holland, Mrs. Y.J. Stover, Mrs. J.E. Dunlap, Madge Rouse, Librarian, Ray Barker,
Assistant Regional Director, and Georgia Forester, Bill Jack Williams, who provide the
tree.
Also during the Bicentennial Christmas season, an open house was held at the library,
complete with early American Christmas Decorations, Candle light, Christmas Carols, and
Wassail Bowl. More than two hundred guests visited the library that evening. The Library
staff and board members
were appropriately dressed in elegant satin, formal colonial gowns. These activities stand
as a reminder of the importance of Community involvement in which the library has always
played a major
role.
Many cultural and worthwhile programs have been presented by the library over the years,
such as Art Exhibits from the University of Georgia, exhibits by local adult artists,
high school and junior high school artists and an exhibit of art by prisoners at
Reidsville, which was provided by the Regional Library.
Special Weeks have been observed with special programs and book displays during Georgia
Author's Week, Children's Book Week, and Career Week for Students. In November 1979 a Free
Book Week was planned and made possible by the Regional Library, when every first, second
and third grade child visited the Library and received a free book.
The Region has also brought us such outstanding programs as the Art Classes taught by Dr.
Vican Kesee of the Art Department of Abraham Baldwin College, a show of magic presented by
the well known Magician and author, Mr. David Ginn, a workshop on genealogy which
attracted so many adults and students it was necessary to hold it at the Turner County
High School.
Each Summer during our summer vacation reading club, when special programs and activities
are planned for all boys and girls of Turner County, the Region adds special programs
which are presented by a member of their staff.
In December 1974, the region joined a state telephone network, which made it possible for
them to call each branch library at least two times a week for requests that the branch
might have for books or difficult reference questions. This has been a good service for
library patrons. Since the latter part
of 1978 the library has been in the process of changing over from the old card catalog to
the new computerized catalog listings, showing all of the books in the region, which are
easily accessible to all patrons.
During the last fifty five years the collection of books has grown to approximately twenty
thousand and circulation of these books exceed thirty six thousand annually. In addition
to this "wonderful world of books", one will find phonograph records, cassettes,
film strips, framed prints, (reproductions of famous paintings), services for the blind
and physically handicapped, with a specially trained consultant. Workshops have been
presented for both adults, and young people on such varied subjects as: Needlecraft,
flower arranging, freezing and canning, Christmas gifts and ornaments, classes in painting
and bridge lessons. A book review was given once each month by the librarian, Madge Rouse,
over WALB television station in Albany, GA. This continued for five years when Madge
terminated it because of the time element.
New services and goals are always n the planning by the library staff and board members.
There have been many library trustees since the beginning of the library and each has
given a special service and meaning to the life of the library. They have played a
monumental role in its progress.
The Library has reflected the standards and hopes of the community it served, since its
beginning as a pioneer settlement. Parents expecting the best for their children, brought
them to the library and those children in turn were later to bring their children , a
continuing tradition of loyalty and interest has resulted. The community confidently
supports its library. |
