Into the Archives: Celebrating Farmington Libraries History

The period following the Second World War saw a major increase in population and education initiatives in Farmington and Unionville that continued through the devastation of the 1955 Flood and the redevelopment of Unionville’s center in the 1960s. The town’s libraries responded to this increased growth: With several expansions at the Village Library (now the Barney Branch) and the West End Library (Unionville), the idea of building a central library to serve all of Farmington and Unionville was becoming a reality in the 1970s. Ground was broken in 1981 for a brand-new facility in front of the high school. In the second half of 1983, three major events occurred: The West End Library shut its doors permanently in June, the new building at 6 Monteith drive was opened and dedicated in October, and the Village Library was closed for extensive renovations, re-opening a year later as the Village Branch.

Through photos, newspaper articles, library publications, Friends newsletters, and other materials, Local History Librarian Jerusha Neely will take us through the developments surrounding the opening of the Main Farmington Libraries branch in 1983, and how the community responded to the changes.

We will include a brief history of the development of the Libraries’ Archives and Special Collections and highlight their importance in preserving, supporting and growing the community’s collective memory.

Caption/description of Photo: Robert Donald (Chair of Library Building Committee), left and Barbara Gibson (Library Director), right, pose in front of the nearly completed Main library building at 6 Monteith Drive, c. March 1983