pg 57 More Big Hill Country 2009
At a meeting of the Cochrane Home and School Association on October 3, 1950 it was decided to sponsor a library in Cochrane.
Nan Boothby and Vola McPherson were chosen to organize the new library and they chose Amy Callaway and Grace Oldfield as assistants. Vola took a librarian ‘s course and these four women became the staff.
The Town of Cochrane offered them a room, in the basement of the Community Hall and the town supplied the lights and fuel. The Home and School Association and the local town people donated books.
The Cochrane Association Public Library was opened at a Tea on November 24, 1950.
All work then and for many years to come was done on a volunteer basis. It was often very cold in the little basement room and it had no windows. The Official Library Board was fanned in January 1951 and consisted of the following members; Mr. AJ. Allen, Chairman, Mrs. G. Oldfield, Secretary, Mrs. AJ. Allen, Treasurer, Mrs. V. McPherson, Librarian, Mrs. A. Callaway, Miss Jean Callaway, Mrs. Nan Boothby, Mr. E.S. Tatro, Mr. Gish, Mr. Fleenor, Mrs. Austin, Mr. G. Broatch.
Fees were set at one dollar per year for adults, children attending school paid fifty cents per year and those not attending school paid one dollar per year. By the end of 1951 there were fifty-five adult members and seventy-four children.
In January 1952, Vola McPherson resigned and Nan Boothby became the Librarian. In June 1959, the Home and School Association relinquished sponsorship of the library.
As a community library, it was now dependent on donations and a very small provincial grant and in 1975 the library moved into another room in the basement of the Town Hall. It was a lot warmer in this room but still the room was too small for very many books or people.
In 1980, the library took a great step forward. It became a municipal library, thus receiving funding from the town as well as a larger provincial grant. It also acquired a new home. The Town and the Province gave the library funds to purchase the recently vacated St. Mary’s Catholic Church. Major renovations were done and the result was a beautiful new library. The name was also changed to Nan Boothby Memorial Library in honour of the woman who did so much to nurse the library through its first twelve years. She served as a Board Member, Assistant Librarian and from 1952 until her death in 1962 as Head Librarian. Nan was a self-educated person and a hard worker in the Community. She was married to John Boothby and they had two sons, Bill and Bruce.
Over the years there have been many people who have given much time and energy as board members and library workers. Through the years the Library Board and Friends of the Library have held many different fund raising events to help. Support was supplied by the Cochrane Legion, St. Andrew’s Church, Ladies Group and Sunday School, Masonic Lodge and Eastern Star, Catholic Women’s League, Light Horse Association, Home and School Association to mention a few. Various groups in Cochrane held many fundraisers and donations were received by many interested individuals. Shell Oil, Jumping Pound presented the Encyclopedia Britannica and the yearbook every year to the library.
After a number of years a brand new larger building was built on Railway Street and slowly has expanded it’s collection. The library offers many programs as well as book launches, storytelling, programs for small children and even computers.
From a small little cold room in the Community Hall in Cochrane the Town now has a beautiful building offering many library services for the citizens of Cochrane and the surrounding area.
In 2007, the Nan Boothby Library has expanded again by joining the Marigold Library System which now allows its users to access any book or information that they may need.
