100th Year Celebration

Fairport Harbor Public Library Celebrates 100 years with Centennial Reception  

Fairport Harbor Public Library celebrated its 100th anniversary with a reception for current and former library staff and trustees, neighbors, members of the Friends of the Library, and local dignitaries on Saturday, September 17.    The library also celebrated with cookies for all visitors during a patron appreciation day on Tuesday, September 13. 

Saturday’s event included speakers Kara Cervelli, FHPL Director, and Pamela Lausin, FHPL Board of Trustees President.  Proclamations and resolutions were presented to the Library by Ohio State Representative, Daniel P. Troy,  Ohio State Senator, Kenny Yuko,  and Lake County Commissioner, John Plecnik.    

The program also included an interview video with Carol Murdoch Miller, former director of FHPL and Jacqueline Wolf, former children’s librarian of FHPL.  Refreshments were served and guests were encouraged to explore photos and documents from the library archives.   

The Library was founded on September 13, 1922, by the Fairport Harbor Board of Education to serve both the school and the public in the district.   It was located on the second floor of Harding High School.  Most of the children’s books remained at Garfield and McKinley school libraries with teachers serving as part-time librarians.   In 1933, with aid from New Deal programs, superintendent R.A. Greig initiated a plan to build a separate public library building.  The library was built on land adjacent to the high school with the Civil Works Administration furnishing the labor and materials.  The library building was used in the 1934-1935 school year and the project was completed in July 1935.  The new library was used both as a school study hall and by the public.  An addition was planned and built in 1940 and in 1966 a Harding High School annex was constructed, connecting the library to the school.  

Since its beginning in 1922, Fairport Harbor Public Library has been an integral part of the Fairport community and schools with innovative programming, diverse collections, and award-winning customer service.  The library staff and board of trustees strive to ensure that the village will be proud of their library for the next 100 years.