History

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 Compiled by Rans Baker

In April, 1922, a few Rawlins women, members of the P. E. O. and  wives of the members of the Lions Club, got together and began what was  called “The Rawlins Reading Room” located in the Osborne Building.  Interested persons could visit the Reading Room and choose from 800  books which were solicited and collected through a “sort of  house-to-house drive.” Within 6 months, 1214 books had checked out and  by the end of the next year that number had reached 3434, with 1148  books to choose from.

On September 2, 1924, the name was changed to the Rawlins Public  Library. Then in January, 1925, inquiries were made to the Wyoming State  Library concerning the advisability of organizing a county library in  Rawlins. A committee of citizens met with the County Commissioners with  the idea of locating the library within the new high school building  which was being constructed at that time. That building was later to  become known as the Carbon Building, where the library is located today.

A temporary arrangement was made, and on December 1, 1925, the Carbon  County Public Library came into being. Over the next few years, branch  libraries sprung up in Hanna, Saratoga and Encampment, along with up to  17 deposit stations scattered throughout the county in places like  Baggs, Dixon, Savery, Pedro, Walcott, Leo, Fort Steele, Elk Mountain,  Medicine Bow, and Seminoe Dam. In 1937 there were over 9600 books  available, with a checkout rate of 42,960 per year. Thirty-six magazines  were available, including Colliers, Good Housekeeping, Life, National  Geographic, Popular Mechanics, Reader’s Digest and Time. County taxes  provided $5267.08 that year.

On the 15th anniversary of the founding of the Library, an  organizational meeting was held to form “Friends of the Carbon County  Library.” The purpose was not only to foster interest in the library,  but to sponsor a movement for a new library location. The high school  was growing and needed the room which the library had also outgrown,  having 9042 books and 50 magazines and newspapers. It was time for a new  building.

Talks began in June, 1938,  which laid the plans for a joint city-county building, also housing the  Carbon County Library. Such a building would be funded by a Public Works  grant. The 53 year old county jail had been determined to be unsafe and  the city was conducting business “in an old shack.” Library circulation  had increased to 48,914 books and magazines. However, in July, the  County Commissioners discouraged the plan, primarily not wanting to  cause confusion over the ownership and identity of the two governmental  bodies.

Work began on the new county courthouse, library and jail building in  the spring of 1939. On March 20, 1940, the library was opened to the  public in the new location—the west half of the ground floor of the  Court House Building. Evening hours were made available for the first  time. Open hours were 12:30-5:30 and 7-9 weekdays and 10-5:30 on  Saturdays.

The  Carbon County Library System was established in 1925 under state statute and is governed by a Board of Trustees consisting of five  members who are appointed by the Carbon County Commissioners for a term  of three years each.