You’re invited to our McCollough Renovation Celebration!
—–
As we celebrate the reimagined EVPL McCollough, it is a good time to look back at its rich history and how the space has evolved over the years.
Image 1: McCollough Library is named after Edith McCollough, who is pictured on the right of the photo above. She worked as the equivalent of head of Evansville libraries from 1912 to 1947.
McCollough Branch Library opened for business on July 13, 1965. The Beatles were still conquering America, the United States had just sent its first ground combat troops to South Vietnam, and Lyndon Johnson was preparing to sign the monumental Voting Rights Act. The 1964 Elementary and Secondary Education Act allowed schools to receive money for books, leading the way for school libraries. This freed up EVPL to shift their resources from schools into building larger regional libraries.
Image 2: Library Director Ed Howard stands in front of the newly built McCollough Branch Library.
The construction of McCollough Branch Library came on the heels of the opening of the Washington Square Mall and fit in well with that thriving neighborhood.
McCollough Branch Library’s total cost was $261,705 (which translates into $2,619,550.74 in today’s money). The initial building had 11,567 square feet of space, with a shelf capacity for 30,000 volumes. Also, McCollough served as the new headquarters of the bookmobile.
The formal opening of McCollough Branch Library was enough of an event that Dr. Melvin H. Hyde, president of Evansville College (now the University of Evansville) gave the invocation and Mayor Frank McDonald made public remarks.
Image 3: The reading carousel at McCollough Branch Library.
McCollough Branch Library also had features that made it unique among libraries. For a brief time, the library had a reading carousel in the children’s section of the library that was very popular. It was the Evansville Philharmonic Guild’s Bicentennial gift to the city in 1976. To appeal to children, the carousel had Beatrix Potter animals playing musical instruments; there was a Peter Rabbit playing the trumpet. The carousel was removed from the library in the late 1980s.
Image 4: A ribbon cutting ceremony reopens McCollough Branch Library. At the ribbon cutting are Library Manager Ron Henze, Lucille Fowler, Sam Clifford, Brenda Scheidler, Lana Burton, and Mike Rust.
A major change came to McCollough Branch Library when it was renovated for the first time in 1996 at a cost of $900,000 (which would be $1,800,000 in today’s money) with Jack Kinkel serving as the architect. The library almost doubled in size. A new 150-seat community room, an enlarged children’s room, and a computer room were the highlights. McCollough Branch Library formally reopened on October 13, 1996, and the library had celebrations throughout the week.
In 2006, McCollough was renovated again, but it was not an extensive facelift and no space was added. Rather, the focus was on reorganizing existing space. For instance, a wall was taken down to open up the library and make it more welcoming. The redesign was done for a relatively modest $400,000 and the architects were Mike and Charline Buente, who also worked on Red Bank’s renovation.
As we approach EVPL McCollough’s 60th anniversary, some through lines stand out. One is EVPL McCollough’s attachment to its neighborhood. Almost from the very beginning, patrons have thought of the library as a crucial part of their lives, and that has remained remarkably consistent. To give a current example, when EVPL McCollough closed for renovation last year, there was a flood of calls to the library asking about when it was going to reopen. Some people were even afraid that it had been closed for good.
Over the years, patrons have enjoyed the “wall of windows” on the north side of the building, particularly the natural light. While the area of Washington Avenue and south Green River Road have certainly experienced changes since McCollough Branch Library first opened, it remains a cherished anchor. As long-time EVPL McCollough employee Carla Davis puts it, “Many people who grew up in Evansville have thought of this library as their home, and it is a very special place in many hearts.”
More photos of EVPL McCollough through the years
