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Humble Beginnings
In March of 1872, at an "upper room" meeting, Mrs. M. L. Ward and Mrs. Ruth Griffin proposed sharing the expense of purchasing books that could be shared for the enjoyment of all. In a short time, nine of the fifteen ladies present paid $1 each in dues.
This first reading group named themselves Ottawa Reading Club and began meeting at Ottawa University.
In September of the same year, the reading club had grown and evolved, adopting the name the Ottawa Library Association.
The first business meeting was held on October 1st, with fifty-seven ladies having paid dues.
Founding Members:
Mrs. M. L. Ward
Mrs. Ruth Griffin
Mrs. H. J. Smith
Mrs. L. H. Holt
Mrs. E. E. Fuller
Mrs. Asa Lathrop
Mrs. H. H. Ludington
Mrs. Delia Norris
Miss Lucy Hatch
In 1878, state senator J. P. Harris secured legislation authorizing a one-mill tax for the support of the library.
In response to solicitations by Mrs. R. A. Wasson and Mrs. R. S. Black, American Industrialist and steel magnate Andrew Carnegie pledged $15,000 towards the erection of a free public library in 1902.
The City of Ottawa Pledged $1,500 annually for the maintenance of the library, the stockholders and owners transferred all property to the Ottawa Free Library and it became tax-supported.
Ottawa Architect, George P. Washburn, was tapped to prepare the plans for the Carnegie Library.
In 1903, Ottawa Free Library, located on the South East corner of 5th and Main, is dedicated and open to the public.
Current Facility
During the summer of 1996, the Ottawa Library moved to its current location with City Hall in the former Franklin Savings headquarters at 105 South Hickory Street.
The library leases a total of 14,378 square feet of space on the 1st Floor and the Basement Levels but also has access to use and reservse the Study Session Room and Commission Chambers Room for larger meetings and program events. In addition to the City Hall location, the Friends’ of the Library Book Store occupies an off-site facility for it’s sale area and sorting/storage needs. This off-site Friends’ facility is approximately 2,000 square feet.
Over 65,000 items in the on-site collection
Access to over 900,000 additional items through NEKLS affiliated libraries.
Approximately 120,000 items circulate per year
960 events per year
135,300 visitors per year
12,776 card holders
The community's needs have changed over the years but the our mission remains the same:
Ottawa Library is a community library that links everyone to free educational, informational, and entertainment resources through responsive, quality service that supports lifelong learning.
The Next Chapter
15th Street
In 2019, we were ready to begin writing a new chapter with the purchase of two properties on 15th street just south of Kanza Park. Working with Sabatini Architects and Swanson House (fundraising), we developed a plan to move forward. As good stewards of taxpayer funds, we are committed to raise as much as possible through donations and grants to reduce any burden on taxpayers.
Walnut Street
In March of 2023, the Ottawa Library Board of Trustees and Executive Director, Terry Chartier, announced the purchase of 204 S Walnut Street in Ottawa, Kansas. We are excited to move forward with this as the future location of Ottawa Library. When we began our search for a new library site in 2018/2019, our checklist included the following: a location in downtown Ottawa, accessible and sufficient parking, and the ability to have a drive-through window. Unfortunately, no properties that met those requirements were available then.
The Walnut Street location meets all of these specifications and also has a long history of great businesses in Ottawa. The Ottawa Library will continue this history well into the future and will target our fundraising efforts to renovate the building. Even though we will not be able to occupy the building immediately, we do look forward to hosting some of our programs at the 204 S Walnut Street location. The 15th Street site would have been an amazing one for the library, and the new design for that property was absolutely beautiful. As time has moved forward and costs continue to increase, though, it has become evident that it would not have come to fruition for many years to come.
Our hope is that you will share in our excitement and support us in this new location. Stop by and talk to Executive Director, Terry Chartier, if you have any questions or just want to say congratulations.
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