Library record set in 1956

The next best thing to adding new materials to the library's Local History collection is to learn new information about something we already have. This photograph of several library employees has been frequently used to illustrate the Crawfordsville library's own history, but the details available were sketchy. Recently, the newspaper article that corresponded to the photograph was discovered among our archival holdings, providing us with an interesting glimpse of library services after the debut of television. The photograph shows Peggy Ann Miller, of 1 Park Forest, Crawfordsville, an eighth grader, borrowing the library's 100,000th library book for 1956. Mrs. D. C. Graham, center, provides the book while Miss Marie Ward checks the circulation record. 1956 was the first year since 1944 that the library had loaned 100,000 books. The book Miss Miller borrowed was Scott Corbett's "Susie Sneakers." The corresponding article revealed that the highest circulation record to that date was set in 1944, when 106,000 items were loaned. To compare, 2012 yearly circulation at CDPL was 172,159 items.