Potter County Library Gettysburg, South Dakota Mrs. Edna Shroyer, Librarian

On April 21, 1923 a county library committee was appointed from the Potter County education association to work on the plan for a county library. The Gettysburg women's live literary club also appointed a committee to quaff a raid with the committee from the education association. Petitions were circulated in the taxing districts within the county and had to be signed by 90% of the borders at the last election for governor. This petition was then presented to the county commissioners. A tax levy was made, and a county library board of five was then appointed by the county commissioners.

The opening of the new library was November 22, 1924. The library planned to start circulating books through the region, but the library board was advised by the superintendent of the board of help to postpone to a later date, due to a smallpox epidemic. Thus December 1, 1924 was the date of opening with Marian Weidensee as the first librarian. From June 1924 to June 1925 approximately 1195 books were added to the collection.

In April 1925, five ancillary stations were established and were under direct supervision of the central library. The stations were located in Tolstoy, Forest City, Gorman, Hoven and Lebanon. The station at Forest City was in operation from April 1925 to July 1928. The station at Gorman was open until January 1929.

Monthly collections were sent to the stations for a period of three months. Approximately 200 books were available to the patrons at all times. Prior to 1939, the library operated through a budget which had been levied each year in the County, but over the next five or six years the County was unable to collect enough taxes to appropriate a sufficient budget to operate the library successfully. It had come to a condition where the library staff were paid in warrants, but were unable to cash them because of the large amount of overdrafts in the library funds. With public demand to keep the library doors open, the commissioners asked for aid from the work progress administration. This aid was made available and the workers were under the supervision of a statewide library project supervisor in the South Dakota library commission.

As to date we have 5722 registered patrons. 15,497 books have been addes to the collection through the years, and the library receives approximately 40 periodicals. The library serves 25 rural teachers. Each teacher borrows a collection of books for the school each month. The public schools of Potter County that have access to the library include Gettysburg, Lebanon, Hoven and Tolstoy. The County Extensions Club and the Literary and Study Club also depend on the library for material necessary for their club work.