History of the Salem-South Lyon District Library

The South Lyon Public Library came into being as the result of the dream of a group of women belonging to the Tuesday Club. In the fall of 1938 they called a meeting of representatives from all local clubs. Plans were made. The community was canvassed for opinions favorable or not, and donations of twenty-five cents to become a charter member of the library were collected. The canvas was successful and on March 20, 1939 the South Lyon Public Library was opened in one room of a vacant store. People of the community had redecorated the room and contributed 1600 books. Mrs. William G. Miller was appointed librarian with a token pay of twenty-five cents an hour. Finances were precarious. The City of South Lyon gave one hundred dollars and the library depended on gifts from clubs and the proceeds of raffles, card parties and bake sales. Our circulation was sound, the first year's circulation totaled 7526 with only 1500 books.

In November of 1942 the voters of South Lyon voted to give the Library not less than 3/5 of a mill, nor more than 1 mill for operating expense. At first the Library got the minimum 3/5 mill from the city, but it was able to begin adding to the book collection and provide some tools for the librarians. That same year, the Kiwanis Club began their annual gift of a non-fiction reference book each month. The circulation continued to climb.

Also in 1942 the Library outgrew its first location and moved to the McWhorter house, where the educational building of the Presbyterian Church now stands. The Library now had more room, more books, and more paid help.

In 1956 through contract agreement with Lyon Township a branch Library was opened in New Hudson. The contract was on a yearly basis. With the Township Branch we were better able to serve the total community.

In 1961 South Lyon Public Library joined the Washtenaw Area Library Association, an organization of Libraries from Washtenaw, Livingston, and Oakland Counties. Open access to the collections of all member libraries became available to the patrons of the library.

December 1, 1962 saw the culmination of a gigantic community effort to raise funds for a new library building . The Friends of the Library group had organized a community-wide effort to stage a 2-day rummage sale plus all kinds of other projects, bake sale, lunch stand, country store, record shop,antique shop, book fair and so on.

$2800.00 was realized from this effort with other contributions from individuals and businesses. About $8,000 in all was raised to buy the land, furnish and landscape the new building. The City contributed about $16,000. Much volunteer labor helped to make this money stretch to cover the new building.

To the great sorrow of the community Mrs. Miller, who had been the spark plug for this new building died before the move was completed. Other hands completed the move, all labored as a memorial to Grace Margaret Miller. Mrs. Phillip Weamer succeeded Mrs. Miller as Librarian. Mrs. Weamer left to become High School Librarian in the South Lyon Community Schools and was succeeded by Mrs. LeRoy Herbon.

South Lyon's new public library on West Lake Street cost approximately $38,000 and was financed by a one-mill levy. Opened in October 1963, the 2,000 square foot structure was designed to house 8,000 volumes.

The building on West Lake Street housed the Library through it's change to the Salem-South Lyon District Library, where it remained until the construction of the current building at 9800 Pontiac Trail, where it opened for business on May 2, 1998. The new 15,000 sq. ft. facility is being financed by a $2.5 million bond issue approved by voters in May 1995. The building is designed to accomodate an expansion from 22,000 volumes to 60,000 volumes.