The Carnegie Free Library, 299 S. Pittsburgh St., Connellsville, is Fayette County's largest library, and offers myriad services to the community. The library has served the area since 1903.
Under the leadership of director Casey Sirochman and a resurrected Friends of the Library organization, its programs for all ages continue to increase. Despite big plans, the library remains in financial straits, with an estimated $70,000 deficit for this year.
Beginnings
The Centennial History of the Borough of Connellsville, published in 1906, traced the development of the library.
As the community grew, leaders decided everyone needed access to continuing education and other resources only a library could offer.
Borough leaders sought a benefactor.
Scottish immigrant industrialist Andrew Carnegie provided $50,000 to build the library, with the requirement that Connellsville and the school district pay all maintenance and acquisition expenses. A library Board of Trustees formed.
A design competition yielded eight entries. The library board approved the design submitted by J.M. McCollum of Pittsburgh.
Five contractors submitted bids; the trustees selected J.A. Nixon, Titusville, as contractor. He submitted the low bid of $38,850 for the building.
Additional expenses included foundation, grading, steam heat, steel book stacks, wood furniture, gas and electric fixtures, auditorium seats (still in use), cementing the basement, and McCollum's architect fees.
Construction began in May 1901. The library formally opened to the public on May 1, 1903, with 2,500 volumes and 60 periodicals. Anna Bonnell Day served as the first librarian.
In 1981, the Carnegie Free Library was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Resources
The library has more than 40,000 circulating books, plus access to statewide interlibrary loan. Although interlibrary loan is free to patrons, it costs the library an average of $2 to mail books back. Contributions to offset this cost would be appreciated, Sirochman said.
"My granddaughter always gets a summer reading list from school and the interlibrary loan is a godsend," said Linda Ruth, historian of the Friends of the Library.
Patrons may also check out a variety of audio books and DVDs.
"We just got three boxes of books from the Library of Congress, including music books. We definitely want to add to our music score collection. We'd take new and gently used copies of music," Sirochman said.
The library currently has 14 Internet-connected computers, including four in the children's section for the exclusive use of young patrons. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation provided the computers.
The library website -- www.carnegiefreelib.org -- offers a schedule of events, links to government and other resources, as well as special pages for children and teens.
Recently, Kisiel and Associates provided WiFi. Patrons may access the Internet from their own devices for free.
Adaptive equipment for the visually impaired makes reading easier, as does the large collection of large print books.
Local newspapers are available on microfilm and Sirochman said, "We have every edition of 'National Geographic' ever printed."
Patrons interested in genealogy, Pennsylvania and local history may make an appointment to visit the Pennsylvania Room, also called the Zach Connell Room, which houses a large collection of old Connellsville directories, family histories and other resources. These items may not be removed from the library. An original charter of the Borough of Connellsville hangs on the wall.
Preschool story-time takes place much of the year. The program will start again at 11 a.m. Feb. 8 and will continue every Wednesday to May 16.
Summer reading programs draw hundreds of children each year.
Lego Warriors gives junior high students a chance to build and program robots to perform complex tasks on their own. The team competes against scores of others in Pittsburgh.
The auditorium is available for rent. Sirochman said a baby shower was held there, and the library has hosted several educational programs in the facility.
The Private Industry Council of Westmoreland/Fayette holds GED classes in the board room and has remodeled a section of the basement into a classroom. That room will also be available for rent.
Friends of the Library has hosted a successful book sale and will schedule another in the spring. The organization is raising money for capital improvements, including window replacement.
Currently, six active members and 20 contributing members comprise the group. Call the library for membership information.
The Friends of the Library improved the entrance with help from other community volunteers. Councilman Gregory Ritch donated an American flag that flew in Iraq; the flagpole was restored, the bike rack was painted and flowers were planted.
The Friends hosts yoga classes every Saturday at 10:15 a.m. in the auditorium. Bring a mat, water and wear comfortable clothes. Friends' Secretary Cathy Kumor, a certified yoga instructor, leads the class.
"We suggest a $5 donation. All the money benefits the library," she said.
The Friends initiated having the main front doors redone. They will be replaced in the coming weeks.
"It's a beautiful entrance," Sirochman said. "The marble on the walls is gorgeous. I would like someday to have a donor tree on one wall and a genealogical display of all our directors in memory of director Julia Allen who was a historian by profession and a genealogist by heart."
"Wouldn't a chandelier look beautiful here?" Ruth asked, pointing to the center of the entrance foyer.
An elevator offers access from the basement to the second floor. A chair lift on the library offers access up the stairs from the outside. A parking space for vehicles with handicapped identification is next to the employee parking, also on the south side.
Funding issues
The council in place when Carnegie agreed to pay for construction changed to a majority unwilling to pay operating expenses from the general budget.
Council decided to go to the public and placed a referendum on the ballot in a special election of Feb. 16, 1904. It gathered 767 votes in favor of a one mill library tax and 231 votes against.
The board did not receive any money from Connellsville until October 1904, when council provided $1,000, 18 months after the facility opened.
Also in 1904, the school board levied a one mill library tax that would decrease to one-half mill in 1906.
Currently, the library receives 3 percent of the city of Connellsville's property tax. With a millage of 6.66, that translates to .1998 of a mill yearly. Council has budgeted $33,176 to the library this year. That will be the most, because it represents a 100 percent collection rate.
Sirochman said the Connellsville Area School District contributes $9,000. It no longer breaks out a portion of its millage for the library. South Connellsville and Dunbar Township provide a combined total of $900 annually.
"We need $200,000 and come up with $130,000 each year in local and state support," Sirochman said. "You can't run a business on the hopes and dreams of grants and fundraising."
The state funds public libraries through the Department of Education. Cuts in the education budget resulted in a $10,000 cut to Carnegie library this year.
The library has six full-time employees and its immense size leads to $13,000 in annual utility bills.
"It's pretty normal for library budgets not to be balanced. The state keeps cutting, but we have to be open a certain number of hours a week," Sirochman said.
She plans on applying for a Laurel Highlands Tourism Grant for operations. Most grants only cover educational or capital projects, not day-to-day expenses.
The library has some unique items to sell to help with expenses. Two antique upright pianos and thousands of vinyl records are available. Call Sirochman at 724-628-1380 for information.
Capital needs
The building has been standing for nearly a century and remains structurally sound.
But time has taken its toll, as have increasing technological needs.
The library roof needs to be replaced. The city has dedicated Community Development Block Grant money toward this project.
New lighting throughout the building will increase energy efficiency.
"I'm worried about the wiring. The board had the furnace checked recently and it's still good, but it's more than 40 years old," Sirochman said. "I want to start saving for a new furnace. There's water damage in the lower stacks. Tile needs to be replaced there."
Maintenance worker Jonathan Walker has redone the staff kitchen and is replastering walls throughout the building. He is also painting.
"He's doing an incredible job," Sirochman said. "He's even offered to pay half for a floor buffer if an individual or group donates the other half," she said.
"We need lots and lots of paint and painting," Sirochman said. "We'd be interested in people who want to help us as part of their Eagle Scout or school community service projects."
The Laurel Highlands Visitors Bureau is providing a grant to redo the lighting in the children's section. A chandelier will be part of this renovation.
The Rotary Club of Connellsville and the Community Foundation of Fayette County are providing money to redo the walls and ceiling in the children's section. Each rectangular coffer suspended from the ceiling will be painted in a Crayola color, Sirochman said.
"We also need a slider chair for adults to sit in and read to kids," she said.
"We're moving the teen area to the mezzanine this year," Sirochman said. "Adults have their section in the Gettys Reference Room, there's the children's section, but teens don't have a place of their own. We're going to take out some shelves, install carpet and laptops. We want a mural on the wall there to make it attractive and welcoming."
She said the mural could possibly be a project for local art students.
Many volunteers help with operations and with projects.
City Treasurer Judy Keller is remodeling the women's room. New Haven Hose Volunteer Fire Company will hold a boot drive this year to replace the fire extinguishers.
Glenn Gallantine has spent dozens of hours installing Internet and updating the technology.
The approximately 100 windows need to be replaced with custom-made panes. They will average $1,600 each. Several groups, including the Friends, have started raising money for their replacement.
The Pennsylvania Room needs better temperature and window blinds to preserve the delicate volumes. Sirochman said acid-free archival paper and boxes will also help preserve the items.
The board wants to restore a baby grand piano in the basement and place it in the auditorium lobby for entertainment during cultural events.
The future
Mid-month, Overdrive will be added to the library website, www.carnegiefreelib.org. This service will allow patrons in good standing to enter their valid library card number and download books to e-book readers and mp3 players. Free training will be announced.
Sirochman also wants to use the auditorium for community events, including classic movie nights, speed dating, murder mystery dinner theaters, career fairs, community fairs and birthday Lego parties for up to 12 children.
Contact her for more information or with ideas for other events.
The independent library board has 12 members who all live within the Connellsville Area School District. Sirochman explained how the board functions. "Nine lifetime members are chosen from previous board members, plus two representatives from the school district and one borough representative from Dunbar. However, each municipality, township, or borough is entitled to a representative to sit on the board and we are supposed to have three from the school district and three from city council. The bylaws for the board need revisited and revised for the times and changes of the current population, and the current board is planning on completing the work this year."
The centennial history of Connellsville stressed the importance of the Carnegie Free Library this way: "Education in the public schools today is not only free but it is also compulsory. The most valuable accessory to the public school is the library, which is not only an aid to the pupil while in school, but furnishes a post-graduate for him after leaving school.
"The influence of the library for good is always marked. Its whole tendency is to uplift and benefit, and every true teacher keenly appreciates the value of a public library as a public educator."
"We're here for the public and want to offer what they want and need," Sirochman said.
