Groundbreaking Librarians

Lambton County Library Headquarters Turns 25

First County Library Association

In 1931, several small libraries in Lambton County united to form the first County library association in Ontario. The result was a co-operative book-buying scheme and quarterly exchange of books, administered through the Sarnia Public Library. It greatly expanded the reading material available to people on rural Lambton. In the beginning, each member library contributed forty books and twenty-five dollars towards new purchases.

Lambton County Library Headquarters after 1974 addition. 

First Bookmobile

In 1935, the Lambton County Library Association created Canada's first bookmobile. Built by Charlie Southworth of Thedford, the original bookmobile was a trailer puller behind a vehicle. It looked like a cupboard on wheels! In 1949, twenty-one small libraries and numerous County schools received visits from a bookmobile that carried 2,000 books.

Original bookmobile at Wyoming Public Library. 

First county library headquarters building in Ontario. 

First County Library Headquarters

In 1950, the first County library headquarters building in Ontario was built at 546 Niagara Street in Wyoming. The $3,500 facility contained office space, books stacks, and a garage for the bookmobile. County Librarian, R.M. Donovan, described the Lambton County Library as "a self-contained completely independent organization... including the reading habits of almost everyone in the County." In October 1974, a much needed addition more than doubled the original building and included a whimsical fish pond.

Eunice Hall tending indoor fish pond and garden, 1974.

New Library Headquarters - You Are Here!

On November 6, 1992, a new 2.2 million dollar library headquarters building opened its doors. it provided storage for 40,000 books and more legroom for over thirty staff. Additionally, for the first time the library's entire historical collection could be housed in one place, in a fireproof and climate controlled vault at the new County archives.

New Lambton County Library Headquarters, c. 1992.

Library Headquarters at 25

Library Headquarters is still a busy place. Staff oversee the administration and technical services for the library system as well as processing of materials and coordination of programming. This activity coexists with the Lambton County Archives, which has a newly renovated archival storage area and a large public reading room. Librarians and archivists continue to work hard to bring knowledge and resources to the people of Lambton County.

Marion Pangman and Doreen Kapala, 1974.