and
the state library sent about 150 books from the traveling
library. In 1930, Lucille Frank, a Poteau High School student,
was employed as librarian to serve two afternoons each week.
Lucille would become the mother-in-law of Elizabeth Neff,
the library's current director.
In 1936
the newly-organized Sorosis Club helped obtain a Works Progress
Administration project to build a new library building.
In 1937 the library moved into a new native stone building
with 800 books and Alice Nolen was hired as librarian. In
1952 the Poteau City Council began taking a more active
role in the operation of the library and began appointing
the board of trustees. In 1966 they appointed a Library
Improvement Committee to work with the Library Board.
In 1967
a bond issue was passed by Poteau voters for $77,000 to
be matched with $75.000 from the state library. Choctaw
Nation Multi-County Library System, made up of Pittsburg,
Latimer, Haskell and LeFlore Counties, was formed and Poteau
Library joined in a two year demonstration with them. Poteau
was a designated bookmobile service center.
In 1968
Mrs. Gertrude Windsor donated the site where the library
is currently located and construction began on a new building.
The library name was changed to Buckley Public Library in
honor of Mrs. Windsor's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Buckley,
whose home was where the library currently stands. The new
building opened to the public April 18th, 1969.
LeFlore
County voted to permanently join the Choctaw Nation Multi-County
Library System in 1970. Elizabeth Neff, the current director
of Buckley Library, began working for the Choctaw Nation
Library System in 1968, and took the job as Director of
Buckley Library in 1975. Bookmobile service ended in 1976,
replaced with mail-a-book service. This service was discontinued
in the 1980s. In 1982 the city remodeled the library's bookmobile
dock to house a genealogy room. The library began a literacy
program in 1985 and a full time literacy coordinator was
hired in 1987.
After
much confusion over the Choctaw Nation name, the Library
System Board voted to change the system's name to the Southeastern
Public Library System of Oklahoma, effective July 1, 1986.
Buckley
Library has been through one disaster, in 1990, when the
roof fell in while being replaced. In 1991 a Friends of
the Library and a Jr. Friends were organized. A mileage
increase passed by popular vote in 1997. That same year
the library provided Internet access for public use. The
library automated in 1999.
In 2001
the library underwent major redecorating. Unfortunately,
additional space was not added and the library suffers from
a shortage of space. The city has purchased land adjacent
to the library for possible expansion and a feasibility
study has been conducted to determine if the library should
be enlarged at the current location or relocate to a new
site. Currently, the biggest goal of the Director and Library
Board is to increase the amount of library space at least
three times the current size.
Buckley
Library has a staff of eight full time employees, including
a Literacy Coordinator. Volunteers, provided by the LeFlore
County Genealogical Society, staff the genealogy room. The
library is open fifty-eight hours a week.
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