This Month in
Morrisson-Reeves Library History
February
In the early years of the library patrons were not permitted to browse the stacks as they are today. Patrons had to buy a printed catalog and make their selections from that listing of books. Mrs. Wrigley may have had some problems with some patrons, because the following reminder appeared in the Richmond Daily Independent on February 17:
| I
wish to call the attention of all persons drawing books from Morrisson
Library to the following rule: Rule V. "Books must be selected
from the catalogue, and the selection should be made before coming
to the library; and the case, shelf, number and title of the book
written down and furnished the Librarian just as they are printed
in the catalogue. Sarah A. Wrigley, Librarian. |
This admonition appeared many times over the early years of the library's existence.
| Mrs. Sarah A. Wrigley resigned after serving as librarian since 1864, only a few weeks after the library opened. The library committees named Mrs. Ada L. Bernhardt as the next librarian. |  |
Mrs. Bernhardt announced that Clarence Gennett had donated 500 piano rolls to the library. After cataloging, they would be distributed in much the same manner as books. The rolls were in such demand that Gennett donated another shipment of them four months later.
 |
First librarian, Sarah A. Wrigley, died at the home of her son, Judge L. H. Wrigley, in Albion, Indiana on February 21 at the age of ninety. She had retired from the library in 1903 after serving as librarian almost since its opening 39 years earlier. |
| A new circulation desk was installed in the main lobby in February. Made of Indiana white oak, it was going speed library work, because it would allow for more transactions to take place. Because of the recent increases in circulation this change was much welcomed. The woman to the left of this photo is Mrs. Ada Bernhardt. (Click for larger image) |  |
Morrisson-Reeves announced in an article on February 4 that it would start a "shut-in" service, in which elderly or disabled patrons could call and have materials delivered to them at home. Unfortunately, that was the day of the telephone company fire, so on February 9 another item announced that, since the program depended upon patrons telephoning in their requests, the program was postponed until further notice. It eventually began in November of that year.