Wrangell’s public library has two birthdays: It celebrated its 100th birthday with an open house in 2021, and this year the current building will turn 50 years old.
Originally opened in October 1921 by the Wrangell Civic Improvement Club in their club room, then moving a decade later to share space in the old City Hall, the city sold $157,000 in bonds to help construct a building specifically designed as a library in 1974.
The construction had its beginnings in 1959 when a building fund was created — the occasion was marked by showing of the film “The Old Man and the Sea,” starring Spencer Tracy — but it would take 15 years for it to become a reality as town officials actively sought public support for the project, resulting in local and state funding.
By late summer of 1974, the new library opened at its current location, next door to its former location in the old City Hall, later known as the Museum and Arts Center, in a gala event.
The move involved hauling 12,000 books plus hundreds of pounds of periodicals, phonograph records and shelving from the old library to the new quarters.
For librarian Irene Ingle, the new building provided amenities that many would take for granted. When officials announced that improvements had been made at the old City Hall and the heat was now on in the building, Ingle remarked, “Can’t feel it, but if they say so!”
She used to regularly bring containers of water from her home a block and half away to clean the space at the old City Hall. Ingle commented at the time of the new library’s opening: “I’ve never had hot water to mop floors with.”
At its new home, the library had the use of a popcorn machine purchased in 1971, which was put to work Saturday mornings and on other occasions, including the Christmas holidays, when the staff held free viewings of movies or cartoons for audiences, often children. Lori Bauer, who now works at the library, said those viewings provided good memories for her daughter when she was growing up.
“I had a bag of popcorn every day when I worked here,” Bauer said. “I miss it.”
The popcorn machine went away after the library was renovated to provide more space in 1993. “It doesn’t really go (together) … the books and popcorn,” Bauer added.
Throughout the years, volunteers played a major role in the library and its continued progress, donating time, money and effort to keep it running smoothly.
In 1980, it was renamed the Irene Ingle Public Library in honor of the town’s librarian, who had retired after 33 years. She died in 2002 at age 86.
The first sign with the library’s new name was carved by former residents Louanna and Arthur “Bugs” Nelson Jr. The sign, as well as a plaque and photo of Ingle, continue to hold places of honor on the library walls.
Thanks to head librarian Sarah Scambler and library assistant Kaitlin Wilson for access to the library’s records archive.
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