About

Mission

The Todd County Library Team is dedicated to provide a centralized hub of knowledge, understanding, and wisdom and to combat ignorance by providing all humans with the best possible resources, personnel, and facilities required for modern Library service.

 

History Information from the Todd County History Book Committee 1995

Early History

The first public library in Todd County appears to have been established in the Milliken Memorial Community House when the building was constructed in 1927, consisting of a single room on the southeast corner of the main floor as a 25 ft. sq. room. Shelves were constructed around the entire room, interrupted only by four windows, a fireplace and the double glass doors from the entrance hall.

Mary Louise Milliken Childes who gave the house received generous donations of about 2,000 books from many friends in New Jersey where she had lived for many years. The Elkton Women’s Blub supplied volunteer librarians for many years with no governmental funding. It was generally limited to the Elkton Community, but in the 30’s people throughout the county began to use the facility.

Recent History

With the development of the Kentucky Department of Libraries under Miss Margaret Willis, the present library began to become a reality. Demonstration bookmobiles service and volunteer library service began in Todd County March 3, 1969. Mr. Stokes was Bookmobile librarian, followed by Jim Young, and then Frank Gill. The project failed, and the books were returned to other counties in 1971.

In September 1977, the Todd County Fiscal Court voted to place the question of a library tax for Todd County on the November ballot. Backers of a library in Todd County had worked several months to establish a one year demonstration library in the county. The Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives agreed to set up and finance a demonstration library in the county. In October, the facility began bookmobile and library service under the direction of the Pennyroyal (Pennyrile) Region. it was temporarily housed in the Jefferson Hotel Annex while the library board made plans for a permanent library to be housed in the old Courthouse. The state provided $60,000 in the form of a free gift. The funds paid the salaries of the staff and other expenses required to get the library in operation.

The proposal of a tax was put before the voters in November and soundly turned down. The Chairman of the Todd County Library Board of Directors issued the statement on behalf of the board. The tax proposal was initiated by the Todd County Fiscal Court without the backing of the  Library Board. He stated that the Demonstration Library was in operation and would remain in operation for one year. He further stated the Library Board felt that the rejection of the referendum was not against the library, but against the tax.

The library experienced a successful first year of operation but, once again, the question of funding for a permanent library came before the fiscal court. A large number of interested citizens went before the Fiscal Court asking for their consideration of funding. The demonstration year was almost over. The library had been well accepted and a valuable asset to the county, but the state would not continue funding. The magistrates were split on the answer to the problem. The library would have to be funded in order to remain open. Use of a portion of Revenue Sharing money was suggested, but rejected at that time. The budget was amended at the next meeting of the Fiscal Court and the Revenue Sharing Funds were returned to the Library for another year.

The library enjoyed continued growth in the years following the demonstration year. However, the library was in jeopardy until 1983 when a permanent tax base was established. In 1980 the library moved into the old courthouse on the square where it remained until the building was declared unsafe for housing of the library unless extensive repair work was undertaken. The Board of Trustees voted to purchase and renovate the office vacated by Dr. Henry Bell on East Jefferson Davis Highway (East Main Street), across from Elkton Baptist Church. The library moved into this facility in early July 1989. The services provided by the library have increased substantially since the move.

Carolyn Ham (1977-1978) served a year as director of the library: followed by Elaine Powell (1978) who served a short time. Betty Gunter was director from 1979-1988. Dana Hodge (1988-1990) then was appointed director and served in that position until June 1990. Dorothy Breakfield was appointed 1990-1996. Anise Warden was appointed 1996-2013…she passed away a short time later. Audrea Fiese Clairmont began her appointment under Ms. Warden from 2013 and presently serves at the Todd County Public Library .