Library, schools: an education partnership

Editor’s note: this year the Brumback Library is celebrating 125 years of service to the community. Each month, the library will tell the story of the Brumback Library, chapter by chapter. This month the partnership between the library and our local schools is explored. Resources used to write this article include “The Library” by Saida Brumback Antrim, a letter written by Beth (Ramsey) Coon and an essay written by Mrs. Virgie Ackom Purk. 

By Theresa Mengerink

As students head back to school, it is a good time to look back at the long relationship between The Brumback Library and the schools of Van Wert County.

From the library’s earliest years, providing teachers and students with educational resources has been an important mission. In 1902, the superintendent of the Van Wert Schools, Mr. J. P. Sharkey asked the library to provide special library cards for teachers. These “teacher cards” allowed educators to borrow up to four books at one time for use in their schoolwork. The program quickly gained interest and by 1903 more than 52 teacher cards had been issued.

The partnership continued to expand. By 1905, teachers were permitted to borrow collections of books for use in their classrooms as long as they kept accurate circulation records and submitted them to the library director.

This program gave students greater access to library materials directly in their schools. In 1906, The Brumback Library established a special school library department containing approximately 500 volumes. The books were carefully selected, with an emphasis on materials that had educational value and could support classroom instruction. The program soon reached schools throughout Van Wert County. By 1907, the library had 192 registered teachers, and every township in the county had at least one school library, with some having as many as seven.

A major change in public education came in 1913 when the Ohio Legislature passed a comprehensive public school law requiring rural schools to maintain libraries containing at least 50 books. Because The Brumback Library was already supplying books to local schools, the library agreed to help ensure that schools throughout the county had the number of books required under the new law, saving districts lots of money.

Over the years, The Brumback Library continued to adapt its services as the needs of local schools changed. As smaller schools consolidated and new school buildings were constructed with their own libraries, the need for The Brumback Library’s school branches gradually declined. The library shifted its focus toward helping teachers and students locate books, reference materials and other resources that might not be available in their school libraries.  Today, that educational partnership continues in new ways. Teachers and students still turn to The Brumback Library for materials that support classroom learning, research and special projects. As homeschooling has grown, the library also serves families looking for books and other resources to supplement their curriculum. More than a century after the first teacher cards were issued, supporting education remains an important part of The Brumback Library’s service to the community.

In December of 1914, Ms. Virgie Ackom was a sophomore at Van Wert High School.  For an English assignment Ms. Ackom wrote two essays about The Brumback Library.  One essay, “Resolved: That the Public should have free access to the Library”, discussed why having a free library is important to citizens in the community.  The second essay, “Description of Van Wert Library”, is a written description of the inside of the library building in 1914. This essay lets you step back in time and visualize what The Brumback Library looked like in the early years.   

The following essay was written December 9, 1914 by Virgie Ackom for English 6.I. The essay is written in its original form, no edits have been made.

We enter the main room of the library through a double door on the south side.  The main reading room is about one hundred and sixty five feet long, eighty feet wide and twenty five feet high. The arch shaped ceiling is carved in different designs and painted white. There is a marble wainscoting about three and one half feet high around the room.  The floor is tiled and there is a rubber mat from the door across the room.  The room is lighted by electricity and heated by hot water. There are six windows in each end, three of which are up high in the arch shape. The other three are rectangular shaped. 

The library contains about twenty-five thousand books.  Most of them are kept in shelves on the north side.  There are eight double shelves each about twelve feet long in front of there is a desk at which are two or three ladies to record books. 

There are five reading tables. There are chairs around the tables and also around the room. There are several open bookshelves containing books for small children and for the high school scholars.  In the south east corner is a paper rack holding the latest newspapers.  There is also a magazine rack west of the main entrance.  A large framed picture of Mr. Brumback is hanging on the wall near the northeast corner. 

We now go upstairs and find ourself in a room in which are kept magazines that are made in a book form.  Going downstairs again we can see two rooms on the south side one on each side of the door.  If we enter the rooms we will see that they are reference rooms containing dictionaries, encyclopedias, magazines, and other good reference books. 

This essay was found when Virgie’s granddaughter Beth (Ramsey) Coon was going through some family history items. You can read her other essay on the Brumback Library website under the heading Our History, then click 125th Anniversary Articles, September Article. Virgie Alice Ackom was born October 23, 1897 to Rosecrans and Eliza Ackom. She married Cary E. Punk on January 29, 1919 and they had four children: Robert, Donald (died in infancy), Norma Louise (Punk) McGinnis, and Wilma Lou (Purk) Ramsey.  Virgie died on December 14, 1951 from cancer. Beth shared that her mother Wilma Ramsey was an avid reader and supporter of The Brumback Library. She lived in Convoy and utilized the branch there regularly. The librarian knew her and always had a book ready for her to check out. Wilma wrote letters in support when the library was on the ballot and designated $1,500 be given to the library when she passed.