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2016 SESSION

16101318D
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 34
Offered January 13, 2016
Prefiled December 15, 2015
Commending the Waynesboro Public Library.
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Patron-- Bell, Richard P.
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WHEREAS, in 2015, the Waynesboro Public Library celebrated its 100th anniversary of encouraging a love of learning, personal growth and development, awareness of current events, and helping imaginations soar; and

WHEREAS, the Waynesboro Public Library was founded by a group of forward-thinking young women who were members of the First Baptist Church’s Philathea Sunday school class; in 1912, using books sent by the Library of Virginia, they opened a one-day-a-week library at the church; and

WHEREAS, two months after opening, and at the request of the founders, the Waynesboro Town Council assumed responsibility for the operations of the Waynesboro Public Library to better serve the needs of the community; and

WHEREAS, a Board of Directors was formed and held its first meeting on November 7, 1912; the group appointed Virginia Leftwich to be the first librarian of the Waynesboro Public Library, and the library continued to become an important part of the lives of many residents of Waynesboro; and

WHEREAS, circulation and patronage steadily increased at the Waynesboro Public Library; two years later, in 1914, the town purchased land at the corner of First Street and Walnut Avenue to build a standalone library; and

WHEREAS, the Town of Waynesboro also received a grant of $8,000 from industrialist and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie to construct a library building; with great fanfare and a public ceremony, the Waynesboro Public Library opened on July 15, 1915; and

WHEREAS, throughout the 20th century, the Waynesboro Public Library grew and adapted to the public’s needs; the Waynesboro Friends of the Library was formed in 1966, and in 1969, a new library was built at the corner of Wayne Avenue and 14th Street; and

WHEREAS, the main library doubled in size when an addition was added in 1979, and today, the Waynesboro Public Library is a hive of activity with 20 computers available for public use and wireless Internet access throughout the building; and

WHEREAS, the focus of the Waynesboro Public Library has always been to meet the information and educational needs of the community; in addition to thousands of books, the library houses an Internet cafe, a young adult room, and has a large genealogy and local history collection; and

WHEREAS, the Waynesboro Public Library’s centennial celebration took place on July 14, 2015, and featured an open house, birthday party, and live entertainment; patrons also discussed what the library has meant to them and their predictions for the future of libraries; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend the Waynesboro Public Library on the occasion of its 100th anniversary of serving the public, encouraging the dissemination of knowledge, and promoting a love of learning; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Zahir Mahmoud, director of the Waynesboro Public Library, as an expression of the General Assembly’s congratulations and admiration for providing many years of dedicated service to the people of Waynesboro.