appsandstacks:

Joan Weaver and Rosetta Graff aren’t exactly reinventing the small town public library, just … well, reinterpreting it.

Weaver and Graff are library director and librarian respectively of the Kinsley Public Library in Kinsley, which, with a population of roughly 1,450, is the largest town in Edwards County, in wheat-growing central Kansas.

Before the Internet, the public library was the source of books and information. Now, it’s one of many sources. So, like a company rewriting its business model in changing times, the library, especially the small library, also must adapt to remain relevant, Weaver says.

“We have to do more than check out books. One way a small local library can stay relevant is to become a repository of local information.”

In recent years, the Kinsley Library has become just such a repository. With the help of dedicated volunteers and some grant money, the library has amassed a trove of local history, vital statistics, genealogical information, burial records, church records, a digital map of the changing downtown, and hundreds of historical photos, including photos of the five family-owned carnivals that once headquartered in Kinsley.

In addition, the librarians recently completed two oral history projects on how World War II affected Edwards County and its residents, and how the county changed during the post-war decades.

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