Library History
Library Timeline
Early Store Front Libraries 1874-1908
Carnegie Library 1908-1966
Expanded Mark & Emily
Turner Memorial Library 1967-present
A Brief History
As early as 1874, a group of interested persons formed the Presque Isle Library Association. The members referred to themselves as the Half and Half Club, a group dedicated to social exchanges, mutual improvement, and the establishment of a public library. The club's name reflected the fact that its officers would consist "half of ladies and half of gentleman, when it can be arranged."
The early collection of books, formed from donations rotated among many Presque Isle businesses, with the librarian usually drawn from the business that housed the books. The books were first placed in George Rowell's drugstore and then moved to the Post Office where Mrs. Luce, the postmaster's wife, served as librarian. Later Laila Smith's millinery store held the collection. In 1905 the collection was moved to Holmes Jewelry Store and Mr. Holmes was the librarian.
Presque Isle citizens voted to build a library in 1907, using a $10,000 grant from the Carnegie Fund. Thomas H. Phair purchased a lot from the Dudley heirs for $1,000 on the southeast corner of Second and State Streets, and citizens raised an additional $937.50 for a small adjoining lot. The Presque Isle Library opened on July 1, 1908 with a collection of 2,000 books.
As the city's population grew, the community needed a larger building and used state funding and a matching donation of $60,000 from Mark Turner, a local businessman and philanthropist. In April of 1967, the newly expanded Mark & Emily Turner Memorial Library opened its doors.
Librarians
Lou Marsten (1908-1932)
Beulah Akeley (1932-1945)
Natalie Barker (1945)
Bernice Libby (1945)
Dorothy Winslow (1946-1948)
Beatrice Rakestraw (1948-1951)
Dorothy Small (1951-1955)
Anne Stimpson (1955-1981)
Marilyn Clark (1981-2000)
Donna Rasche (2000-2003)
Sonja Plummer-Morgan (2003-present)
