Lincoln Public Library Celebrates Its Sesquicentennial in Style

 

[November 08, 2024] 

Lincoln Public Library celebrated its sesquicentennial in style on Saturday night at the Carnegie building in downtown Lincoln. The special event, called The 1902 Club for the year the Carnegie building was built, featured live music, historic building tours, displays of archival collections, hors d’oeuvres, desserts, drinks, and a chance to participate in history.

Patrons arrived in their finery at 7 p.m. and were welcomed by library staff and 1902 Club planning committee members. The Carnegie building was decorated with gorgeous, seasonal flower arrangements provided by Melanie Welch of The Bee and Prairie Threads, while attendees were serenaded throughout the evening by exceptional cello music provided by cellists Chet Remmert and Christine Cicha. Fittingly, Cicha is also a librarian.

The heavy oak built-in for new book displays near the circulation desk was tastefully decorated with a sculptural balloon arch and gift bags for patrons to take home afterward. The oak built-ins originally designed to display periodicals contained rare books from the original library collection. The long table in the Scully Reading Room was full of historical and archival materials displayed for perusal, including the original blueprint of the Carnegie building, vintage books from the library collection, and a stereoscope viewer with stereograph cards– a popular entertainment during the Victorian era. One of the library computers was set up to view digitized local newspapers from the 1800s.

Once patrons had all arrived, Library Clerk and event organizer Ashley Ried officially welcomed guests and thanked them for their support of the Lincoln Public Library. She outlined events for the evening and invited attendees to enjoy the archival collections, participate in tours of the upstairs Director’s Room, and enjoy the music and refreshments. She paid homage to the women of Lincoln whose contributions made the Carnegie building possible. Isabel Nash donated the land for the library building and Ida M. Webster, LPL librarian for 55 years, not only grew and organized the collections, but was instrumental in the building’s design. Lincoln has Webster to thank for the attractive bump-outs at the sides of the Carnegie building that add to its Neoclassical charm.

Ried introduced Library Director Mike Starasta who also welcomed guests and thanked them for their support of the library. He shared the LPL’s mission statement with guests, which reads “The purpose of the Lincoln Public Library District is to meet the informational, educational, and recreational needs of the people of Lincoln, IL. These public library services are intended to provide lifelong learning opportunities, offer access to general information for school, work, or life, provide current titles for recreational reading, and develop collections for consumer information and local businesses.”

Many patrons enjoyed a photo treasure hunt, scouring the building for the tiniest architectural features. The first six who completed the hunt received a prize of a Carnegie building paperweight for their efforts, in addition to an extensive knowledge of the building. Attendees also took advantage of the opportunity to record their favorite memories of the library and best wishes for the future in the Coatroom to be digitized and available for future library patrons to enjoy.

One of the most eagerly anticipated aspects of the night was a tour of the upstairs Director’s Room. Originally the office space for librarian Ida Webster, the Director’s Room boasts views of Latham Park through latticed windows, original architectural features, and interior windows that open to the topside of the stained glass dome. This area is typically closed to library patrons. Special displays set up in the Director’s Room for the occasion included original roof tiles, filigreed steel bookends, and examples of the building’s plaster. Planning committee member Pam Moriarty gave tours of the upstairs space providing information about Isabel Nash, the stained glass dome, and other architectural elements of the Carnegie building.

Lincolnland Catering provided a scrumptious spread of sweets and savories. Macarons, lemon squares, mini-cheesecakes, berry tarts, chocolate eclairs, and peanut butter cookies were some of the delicacies to tempt the sweet tooth. Cheese pâté served with nuts, apples, and crackers, and hors d'oeuvres of stuffed mushrooms, chicken salad in pastry, and cheese and olive on pastry completed the delicious menu. Custom-blended autumn punch complemented the hors d'oeuvres and a selection of wine was donated by library board member Jon Aton. Other beverages were generously provided by Squeaky Clean Window Washing.

The 1902 Club was a successful celebration of local history and an historic Lincoln landmark. Library Director Mike Starasta said, “It’s been a fantastic event! I’m happy so many people in the community support the Lincoln Public Library.” Librarian Caroline Kiest added, “Everyone has enjoyed it. The decor is outstanding and the food is excellent. A special thank you to our sponsors!” Proceeds from The 1902 Club will go toward restoration work of the Carnegie building’s original tile roof to address leaks that have compromised the integrity of this local gem of a building.

Reflecting on the event, organizer Ashley Ried said, “What a celebration we had! By the end, we were already talking about “next time.” I think that’s an indication of a good time!” Ried wants to “give a special thank you to the volunteer team that helped create this special night. Their hard work will help the legacy of the library continue for many years ahead. It’s incredible to think that while our team worked fastidiously to ensure the event could go off without a hitch, the evening was really a culmination of the hard work of hundreds of people over the course of a century and a half. What a wonderful thing to be part of!” Additional exciting opportunities are planned for the future to support Lincoln Public Library’s mission and legacy.

[Stephanie Hall]