Libraries abroad: Washington-Centerville Library celebrates its 200th anniversary

On August 7 Washington-Centerville Library will celebrate its 200^th anniversary.  

The Library, which formed back in 1810 as a small club meeting in a private residence, has a rich history. Originally known as the Washington Social Library Company, Ohio had been a state for only seven years, and the community's population was less than 2,000.

Thirty years after formation, a bank in Miamisburg took over the library's charter and for 60 years the community languished without a library of its own. The bank which acquired the charter was unprofitable and short-lived. In 1900, after some 60 years without library service, the Centerville Library Club formed and had 12 books in its collection. Over the next 30 years, the library began to thrive in both its collection size and its membership. In 1930, the club transferred its collection to the newly formed Washington Township Public Library and the Library officially became a public library - which it remains today.

The two full-service libraries now loan almost 2.5 million items each year to more than 65,000 cardholders. The collection and services offered have grown beyond the books of its early beginnings to also include electronic books, music on CDs, movies on video, DVD, magazines, graphic novels, video games, Wi-Fi service, Internet access and more.