Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
AKRON -ÊSome couples celebrate 50th wedding anniversaries. Companies may celebrate 50 years of business.
Velma Bright of the Akron Carnegie Public Library is celebrating a unique kind of anniversary this year. She is celebrating 50 years as the Akron library director.
"You do a job and you don't think about it being tremendous, you just do what you have to do," Bright said.
Bright was born in the Akron area in 1923. "The library was established in 1912," she said. "This building has been here since 1915."
Right out of high school, in 1941, she began working at the library. She missed only one year, due to illness, before being appointed as director Jan. 1, 1950.
Why has she stayed so long?
"Because," she said, "I am a local resident and because I'm interested in the community and in the children reading. And I've been here so long."
Before Bright, Elveh Ferry was director for 35 years. "We were two of the longest (directors)," Bright said. "She was a very good librarian. I thought she was here a very long time. I never knew I'd be here this long."
Before Ferry, there were three short-term directors.
In her 50 years as director, Bright said, she has seen, "a lot of changes."
In the 1950s, the library began a reading club in the summer for children. The Friends of the Library was organized a few years ago, Bright said, and "they've been a big help (to the library)."
The library, built for 10,000 books, now has more than 26,000 books, plus videos, computers and other materials.
"We've become very crowded," Bright said, adding they are hoping to expand. "We've been working on it for a while. We have different options in mind."
Grants for library expansions are hard to come by, she said, and many libraries around the nation are crowded.
"Someday, we hope before too long, we will be successful."
The Akron Carnegie Library was one of 1,700 in the United States built and paid for by Andrew Carnegie.
She said, "I think (that's) a wonderful thing. It's a wonderful way to use your money and we should be thankful."
In her half-century of working at the library, Bright has seen trends in books with both adults and children.
"Adult (favorites) vary a lot," she said. "The children, there's some favorites like Dr. Seuss and the Berenstain Bears."
The library also has a Web site at apl.ak.hoosierlink.net that features an index of all Akron news according to deaths, births and marriages, from 1893 to the present.
"It's quite unique to our library," she said. "Not too many libraries have done this."
Even though there have been many changes, one thing remains constant, Bright said.
"I've always had very good people working for me," she said.
Gloria Bowen was an assistant for 35 years with Bright full time. Bright's current staff includes Carol Graham, Lucile Doering and Janet Hawley - all good workers, she said. She said they've also had good library boards that have kept the building up over the years.
"We're proud that people are proud of the library and want to keep it up," she said.
And another constant is that people continue to use the library, despite changes in society and technology.
"A lot of people come to the library," Bright said, "but now they come for videos. People still come to read, though, thank goodness."
She said she doesn't think books are ever going to go out of style.
When television first became popular, she said, the library staff was afraid the library would be hurt by that, but it hasn't.
"A whole new world opens up to you when you read and you can't forget the basics," she said.
After 50 years, how much longer will Bright continue serving as director?
"I'm just going to keep working as long as my health permits and as long as they still want me," she said.
"Through the years, I hope we've contributed to the community."
An open house will be held for Bright from 2 to 4 p.m. April 30 at the library. The public is invited.
