A Gem of a Library in Mayville

 

Decorative woodwork below where the central rotunda dome used to be.

Ornate entrance to library back room stacks. Note the wire "teller window in the center.

Often times when I visit Mayville and my parents, it is at a time when the library isn't open. This past week during our Spring Break I was able to stop in and see the inside of a building I hadn't been inside since I was young. The interior that surpassed what I remembered brought my dim memories back into focus. I even got a tour of the basement, which is very spacious, but needs renovation. If there is a library that kicked off my love of reading and career as a librarian, this is the one.

I stopped in when the library was transitioning and staffed by volunteers. Unfortunately, the former librarian, who had been there since I was a kid, passed away recently. To me, this seems like a good time to reframe and expand the library's mission and vision to meet the needs of a new age.

I have always thought the Mayville library's being just a library limited its potential. The modern public library is a diverse space that serves many needs in the community of which providing books is only a part. Mayville is fortunate to have a college library that has always been open to the public, which frees up the public library to focus more on the needs of youth while still catering to those who don't want to go to the college library. 

My vision would be to expand the mission to be more in line with what modern public libraries do. Provide greater access to the internet and digital tools for those who lack access and make it a central space for the community as a whole. Modern libraries also often serve as arts and cultural centers for the community. When I saw the spacious basement, I immediately thought about what a great space it would be as a makerspace with 3D printers and other digital production tools for the community, with the flexibility to be an event and meeting space. Many public libraries across the country already engage these multiple avenues regularly. Doing that and framing the space in a new way also opens up new funding avenues. Many library areas need restoration or renovation, and expanding the mission could also help refresh it for another century.

The idea, in part, came from my time here in Williston, where the former "Carnegiesque:" and similar styled public library serves as the James Memorial Arts Center, serving functions from art to humanities to a classic space available for rent. As a farming and college community, Williston, though larger, has many similarities to Mayville. Unlike Williston, Mayville has several hundred thousand people within a few hour's drive that a classically styled arts and culture center could draw for events and activities. In fact, it is better placed for success than Williston's. Opening the Mayville public library to a broader array of uses while renting it out for community events makes it more sustainable and provides more value to the community. For such a small community, Mayville is fortunate to have such a fantastic gem of a library and if properly repurposed could become much more than just a place to get books.

The James Memorial Arts Center, while larger, has many similar features to the Mayville Public Library