About

 

During the summer of 1970 Gail McGrew and Dorothy J Zmolek first talked about a library for Chelsea, it was decided to follow steps to establish one here. These two wrote letters to the State Library in Des Moines and several officials. The pair were referred to Mrs. Nelle Neafie of the Seven Rivers Library System of Iowa City.

On September 28, 1970, the mayor, council and 24 interested community members met at the town hall with Mrs. Neafie who explained how Chelsea could obtain a library.

Mayor Johnson appointed Gail McGrew, Ludmilla Stadler, Beulah Hrabak, Marg Lebeda and Barbara Zmolek as a committee to work towards establishment of a library. Ed Malina and Ray Coleman were later added to the committee. During the following two years, 15 formal meetings were held. Money was raised by various means, including sales of popcorn, auctions and donations.

Mrs. Pauline Dunlap, the sister of the late Charles and Albert Swalm, donated the committee the Swalm Building to use at their discretion to help Chelsea establish a library. The building was not salvageable, but many shelves and other items from the store were used. A few were repaired and repainted and are still in use today! 

A building was purchased from the Chelsea Savings Bank in December 1972 at 601 Station St.

The library is the result of many people working hundreds of hours to raise money, working in the Swalm Building salvaging what they could and preparing the new building. Most successful was a cookbook which was published with the proceeds going toward remodeling the new building.

Nov. 20th 1972 was the first date the official Chelsea Library Board began duties. June 10th, 1973 an open house was held in the new library and was attended by many Chelsea community members and friends. Through the years, many have worked for the library including Josephine Kenner, Betty Coleman, Sandra Wedmore, Beverly Kasal, Dianna Dunning, Genevia Bitterlie, Judy Ochs, Kathy Werner, Brad Wolter, Sarah Story, & Dani Dunning. 

On August 10th the building was damaged in the wide swath derecho that hit the state of Iowa and others. Part of the roof was blown off and rain had blown into the building. The library approached St. Joseph’s Parish about setting up temporarily in the St. Joseph’s Parish School. A generous rental agreement favoring the library was struck and the library had been operating out of the school since November 4th 2020 until the new location of the "old co-op building" was secured and ready for use. The donation of the new location was essential to continued services in the community. 

Today the library is thriving. The library offers adult fiction, children's fiction, nonfiction, magazines, audio books, newspaper, DVDs, and has two computers available for public use, and much much more.

Popular summer reading programs are held every summer. There is also an after school program held during the school year - subject to the area school schedules. 

The Station Street Readers book club meets every second Monday morning at 9:30 am. The club members read a variety of books, meet to discuss and enjoy fellowship once a month.

Story hour is Monday at 11:30.

The library board of trustees meets once a month on the last Tuesday at 5:30 p.m.

 

Dunning, Dianna; edited by Dani Dunning. Vitame Vas Do Chelsea 150th Celebration 1864-2024. Bell Books, 2014.