Salem-South Lyon District Library

History of the Salem-South Lyon District Library:

The South Lyon Public Library came into being via a group of women belonging to the Tuesday Club. In the fall of 1938 these ladies called a meeting of representatives from all local clubs and started making plans.  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 1,600 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 7,526.

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.