Lakefield Branch Library

After World War II the federal government provided funds to support county libraries in rural areas of the country. In response to this federal program, a library association was organized in Jackson County to mobilize countywide support for the establishment of a Jackson county library by the county commissioners or by the vote of the people. The impetus for the organization of the association came, in large part, from the people of Lakefield. The county commissioners declined the proposition to establish a county library by resolution but did submit the proposition for approval at the polls, which resulted in overwhelming defeat.

In 1959 in response to this defeat, a small group of Lakefield people organized the Lakefield public library. In 1960 small rent-free quarters for the library were provided in city hall. Four women accepted the responsibility of staffing the library in rotation three times a week from its stock of 500 books which were donated by the people of Lakefield and 50 current books on loan from the State Department of Education.

The need for a more formalized organization soon became apparent. A public meeting was held in November 1960, which selected a library board, appointed officers and a librarian. With community support, the benefits of the State Department of Education and completely with the volunteer work of the librarian, officers and board members provided the people of Lakefield with expanding library services.

In 1976, the Jackson county commissioners established a county library and the Lakefield Library became a member of the Plum Creek Library System. The Lakefield Library also became a part of the Jackson County Library System. The county provided a paid librarian, books, and library service while the City of Lakefield provided a small library building on Third Avenue. In 1986, after outgrowing the space of the current library, the Lakefield library moved to a new larger building located at 219 Third Avenue, about 1 ½ blocks from the old library.  About 100 people formed a human chain across Lakefield’s main street to move about 1,000 books from the old library to the new library.

By 1996, the library had outgrown its space once again. The library board, along with the mayor, worked diligently to find a larger location for the library.  In 2000, a new library building was built on Main Street. Again, a human chain of people was created to move the books to the new location. Since the move to the new building, the circulation of materials had increased 74% by the end of 2003.

Today the library offers five computers with Internet access, one computer in the children’s area, and two computers dedicated for online access of the library catalog. The mission of the Lakefield Library is to provide materials and programs to the community, which support and promote education, culture, information and entertainment.