March 28, 2024

Times have changed

From Jean Ide

Creston

My name is Jean Ide, and I am on the library board. I was appointed by the Union County Board of Supervisors to represent residents who lived in Union County, but not in Creston. Hence, the new name of Creston Area Library.

I have always lived here. I went to a one-room schoolhouse until I was in eighth grade. Our country school did NOT have a library, and I wanted books to read. Using the Creston library was not an option because my family went to town on Friday afternoon
to buy groceries, and I was in school. Finally, my mom decided that I should take piano lessons on Saturday morning. This meant I could go to the library and PAY to get my library card. Imagine a little girl going up all the steps on the east side of the library and there directly in front of her was the large, never-smiling, Miss Ball, THE librarian.

Times have changed. The board wants the library to be the best it can be. We want it to be up to date. We want all children to have help learning to read so that our literacy scores are raised. We want all the good things that modern libraries can provide. We want what no one could have imagined 60 years ago.

After hours of research and discussion and consultation with our architect, the board did what we were appointed to do. We decided that it would be best for our constituents to change the name and the address of the library.