Eva K. Bowlby Public Library
By Colleen Nelson
From the outside, Eva K. Bowlby Public Library fits right in with all the other the stately homes on North Richhill Street, built during Greene County’s first gas and oil boom days. Wildcatters and lucky leaseholders of the early 20th century brought their sudden wealth to Waynesburg’s north side and converted pastureland into dream homes. The hillside behind the library was once a turkey farm.
How the Bowlby home became a library is a story that starts in the Sunday School room of the First Methodist Church where a children’s library was dreamed up in the early 1940s. Mrs. Bowlby, by then a matronly widow, attended the church and was known for her generous donations to the library as it outgrew the church and moved to High Street to became Waynesburg Children’s Library.
When Mrs. Bowlby’s will was read in 1957, the community was delighted to learn she had “bequeathed her home as a library, so long as it continued to maintain a children’s library.”
By 1970, the library renamed itself Eva K. Bowlby Library in her honor, with books and educational materials for all ages and a staff of dedicated workers and volunteers to serve everyone, but especially the children of Greene County.
The library is a place where it’s always warm and cozy, where questions are answered, where you’ll be there for hours satisfying your curiosity about the world. For some, it’s a place to check their email and use the library computers to keep up with the times, hunt for jobs, and learn new skills.
The main room is full of reference bookshelves that stretch from floor to ceiling behind the rows of computer stations.
The downstairs children’s library spills over with books, puppets, games and activities on shelves waiting to be brought out. There are tables for projects, carpeted spots to sprawl on and plenty of books to explore. Computers along the wall behind the librarian’s desk give older students space to do their homework and monthly programs are happening for kids of all ages.
Bowlby keeps its monthly calendar filled with things to do, from movie nights and story time to hosting author’s nights and doing family literacy training. The free Waggan’ library card with its friendly canine mascot on front is the key to this magic kingdom.
But adults shouldn’t feel left out. There is puzzle competitions, mahjong club, cosmic bingo and a book club modeled after Great American Read on PBS to name a few.
Bowlby has computers and free Wifi for those who want to work remotely on their own laptop or mobile device. Mobile hot spots are also available for anyone with a Bowlby library and valid id.
Check out the library’s Facebook page to see what’s on the schedule. Read on!
