In 1969, Liz Clemens, president of the Pacific City – Woods Women's
Club, appointed a committee consisting of herself, Marion Sutton, Margaret
Howe, Ethel Gelegan and Claudia Starr. The purpose of the committee
was to explore the idea of establishing a branch library in Pacific City.
The reason, as Liz later explained, was that she was an avid reader and
the Bookmobile “just didn't do it for me”.
Liz and Marion met with the Tillamook County Library Director and learned
how to become part of the system. The Tillamook County Library Board
approved a motion to establish a branch in Pacific City. M.L Schmidt
Realty donated a year's lease (at $80.00 per month) on a building at the
end of the airport. All that was needed was some book shelves, some
books, and some sprucing up. The County Library donated one set of
shelves and more were built by local volunteers. The Women's Club
gathered some books, and the Library System furnished around 950 books
from their library stacks. Volunteers from the Women's Club cleaned
and painted and the new library had a successful opening on July 3, 1971.
The Thrift shop began as a Women's Club rummage sale in the fall of
1971 and was kept going as a means of providing funds for the library.
The original Thrift Shop was located in the garage of the building at the
end of the airport.
In 1973, the Women's Club sponsorship was replaced with the newly formed
South Tillamook County Library Club which was incorporated on October 22.
At this time, the library was renamed South Tillamook County Library. It
was also at this time that the Clubs feelings were that the present building
was too small. Looking around, they found a small house for sale
on Brooten Road just south of Ferry Street. Alice Miller of PC loaned
the money to the Club in the amount of $7900.00. Early in 1974, the
library moved into the new building. Again, new shelves were built
and the Thrift Shop was set up in a back room. The first years proceeds
from the Thrift Shop was $3347.00
By 1981, the Library Club had thirty members and volunteers continued
to do maintenance and improvements. In 1982, the Club paid the loan in
full and celebrated their accomplishment. The Club decided to spend
$50.00 every month for new books and joined the Chamber of Commerce for
the first time.
Over the next couple of years, the Club held numerous fund raising events
including food fairs, garage sales, bake sales, book sales, plant
sales, etc.
In 1985, the purchase of a double wide mobile home across Brooten from
where the Library was presently located was completed. After some
remodeling, the Thrift Shop and Library was moved across the street. The
library occupied the north half of the building, and the Thrift Shop the
other half. Each was about 600 sq. feet. Circulation from the
South County Library was over 1000 items per month, the highest of any
of the Tillamook Branches. An addition was built on the back of the mobile
home increasing the size of the Thrift Shop. The members of the Library
Club celebrated the 15th anniversary of the opening of the South County
Branch (although slightly premature depending on the actual accredited
opening date) and the Thrift Shop continued to supply funding.
Click continue
to read page two of the Pacific City Library History.
