Page 86 - Panama City Living Magazine

The rst assembly was held in 1885 and, a year later, local citizens, mainly from the Ladies Aide Society, decided to elevate the “moral and intellectu- al standing of [their] community” to support the Chautauqua movement and formed the Ladies Library Association.“The initial members paid a subscription. The ladies paid an initiation fee of 10 cents. Gentlemen could become honorary members by paying 25 cents,” says Dan Owens, the library’s executive director for almost 20 years. Constructed for just under $580, the inside of the original building measured 16.5 feet by 24 feet, with a wood-burning stove and brick chim- ney. The chimney can still be seen and the original wood oor remains. According to the meticulously recorded minutes of the Ladies Library As- sociation the library’s expansion became necessary in 1893-94 as there were “so many books and so little room.” A second addition, a reading porch, was added in 1921. The last addition, completed in 1984, added two levels and reconstructed the porch area.The rst librarian, Ms. Alice Fellows, served from 1902 until her death in 1926. She kept detailed minutes of the association meetings in love-ly, ourishing handwriting for her entire tenure. Her writing style offers a glimpse into life and language of the times – “. . . and it came to pass that ... certain women of the town of DeFuniak of the county called Fla, unto the Library that is by the lake side to consult to the good & welfare of the association.” Years later, Ms. Fellows’ nephew visited the library. Now a kind gentleman in his 80s, he recalled that when he was a boy, Ms. Fellows left DeFuniak Springs and went all the way to Chicago to take classes in librar- ianship so she could return and become the DeFuniak Springs librarian. He remembers her as strict and severe woman “who did not tolerate any frivolity in little boys who were to be seen and not heard.”The library’s collection includes 800 historically signi cant books. The highlight is a signed rst edition of writer Harper Lee’s Pulitzer Prize-win- ning novel, “To Kill a Mockingbird.” Lee frequently visited a friend in Wal- ton County and, on several occasions, the author stopped by the library to visit, only to nd it closed. One Christmas she left a personal note lodged in the library door. The library’s director immediately wrote to Lee’s pub- lisher to let her know she was welcome for a personal tour. Lee returned for that tour and then gifted the library with her beloved novel.