The Hawarden Public Library is receiving national recognition as the country prepares to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
As part of the anniversary, the Carnegie Corporation of New York is gifting $10,000 to Carnegie Libraries across the country. Hawarden is home to the only Carnegie Library in Sioux County.
Library Director Maddy Vlotho says Hawarden’s Carnegie designation dates back to the early 1900s, when industrialist Andrew Carnegie funded public library construction nationwide. While most grants were intended for towns with populations over 10,000, Hawarden became a Carnegie Library after local leaders successfully appealed directly to Carnegie.
She says Hawarden received a $5,000 gift in 1901 — an unusually large amount for a town of its size — and the original library building still stands today. While the library has expanded over the decades, the original structure remains part of the facility.
Vlotho says that history, combined with the new $10,000 gift, makes the recognition a point of pride for the Hawarden community and a reminder of the lasting role public libraries continue to play.
The pictures were submitted by the Hawarden Public Library
