Bridgeville Public Library
Address: 600 South Cannon Street
Bridgeville, DE 19933
Phone: (302) 337-7401
Fax: (302) 337-3270
Director: Karen Johnson
Hours: Monday to Thursday 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.,
Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
(Independent Library)
The current Bridgeville Public Library building was constructed in 1866 as the First Presbyterian Church of Bridgeville. For approximately 50 years, the building was used as a church, however, due to a dwindling congregation, the church was closed around the turn of the century. In October 1896, the Tuesday Night Club of Bridgeville was organized as a literary society. And in 1917, the group purchased the vacant Presbyterian Church building for $500. Mrs. C. Leon Cannon organized a circulating library in the west wing of the building in 1919. Five hundred books were collected from the community to stock the shelves.
By 1933, the library had 2,124 volumes, 400 patrons, and an annual income of $54. And in 1937, the Bridgeville Library qualified for its first state appropriation in the enormous sum of $150. In 1964, Mrs. Cannon and Mrs. Olivia Willin, the last surviving president of the Tuesday Night Club, signed the building over to the Bridgeville Public Library, Inc. This not-for-profit corporation was formed to meet the growing requirements of the State Library Commission. The following year, a fund-raising drive was held for renovations of the main building and, in 1972, another drive was conducted to renovate the west wing. It wasn't until 1979 that the library acquired its first paid employee, Mrs. Betty Johnson. And in 1989, Mrs. Carol Gasior became the library's first full-time director. At this time, additional renovations were needed due to the discovery of termites. The library remained open during this time at the Methodist Friendship Hall. The renovation cost of $75,000 was collected totally from private donations.
Today, the Bridgeville Public Library remains an integral part of the Bridgeville community. The library now boasts over 16,000 volumes, 3,000 video tapes, DVDs, compact discs, and books on tape. Plus, the library subscribes to over 60 adult and children's magazines and three newspapers. In addition to the items in the Bridgeville Library, the library can access books and other materials throughout the state through the Inter-Library Loan System (ILL), as well as reference the Internet.
Key Individuals
Miss Sallie Rawlins was the first president of the Tuesday Night Club of Bridgeville, organized as a literacy society in October 1896. Mrs. C. Leon Cannon and Mrs. Ida Ferguson were the primary volunteers staffing the library from 1919 through 1959. Mrs. Betty Johnson became the library's first paid employee in 1979. Mrs. Carol Gasior serves as the library's first full time director.
