Reading for self-education and improvement has been part of global culture since the invention of the printing press and the mass production of books.
Abe Lincoln read law books to become a practicing lawyer, and Andrew Carnegie enjoyed Scottish history and poetry. During the Enlightenment, literary salons were organized to discuss books, art, and politics. Private collections of books were important, and books were loaned or given as precious gifts.
Literacy rose during the 1700s, and private collections evolved into subscription libraries supported by membership fees. One of the first subscription libraries was formed in Philadelphia by Benjamin Franklin and was called the Library Company. Franklin then donated his private book collection to create a public lending library.
However, the Patron Saint of American Libraries was Andrew Carnegie, the steel magnate who donated the money to build 2,509 Carnegie Libraries worldwide from 1883 through 1929; 1,795 were US public community libraries, and 108 were established at academic universities and colleges. Using a public library enabled individuals to prepare for a career or be entertained through reading.
Tigard’s public library was created in June 1963 and was the inspiration of the Tigard Women’s Club, Chamber of Commerce, and numerous businesses in the community. On October 28, 1963, the City Council passed ordinance No. 63-16, establishing the Tigard Public Library to be initially run by volunteers. The library opened May 23, 1964, in the back room of City Hall at 12420 SW Main Street in Old Town Tigard with a celebratory tea and open house for the public.
The first book collection of 1,000 books was donated by Tigard citizens and surrounding neighborhood libraries. The budget for the first Tigard Library was $175 and administered by part-time staff. The Library Board was appointed by Mayor Ed Woodard and was composed of volunteers Bev Bender, vice president of the Women’s Club who served as Library Board chairperson; Jean Hine; Mary Woodard, who was a credentialed librarian; Don Jacobs, a former librarian at Tigard High School; and Francis Cooper, a Councilman.
The Tigard Times, on October 31, 1963, had written a story on the developing library and Mrs. Mary Woodard, in an interview, stated, “People who say they have never had a chance to get an education can make an education available to themselves in the libraries.”
This early library in a backroom of City Hall on Main Street began the tradition of the ‘Story Lady’ who read to children, and these duties were shared by Mrs. Edna Cotton and Mrs. Erma Olson early on.
In 1967, the Tigard Public Library was moved to the Otto Sorg Building at 12568 SW Main Street, where it occupied a space double its original size. Otto Sorg offered this space free of charge as a public service. Circulation was growing with children and adults checking out books, and the book budget grew to $840 per year.
In 1972, the Friends of the Library was organized to raise both volunteers and funding. The Tigard Library became a member of the Washington County Cooperative Library Services (WCCLS), which greatly increased the library’s responsibilities and services.
In March 1984, Tigard voters approved a bond measure for $2.2 million to build a new Civic Center, which would hold both City Hall, the Mayor’s Office, as well as a new library. Once again, the connection between local government and the library reinforced the ideal of a well-educated citizenry.
In 1986, a new Tigard Public Library opened with 11,400 square feet of space. At this new Civic Center site at 13125 SW Hall Blvd, retired teachers and library volunteers like Neva Root recorded Tigard’s local history, writing small booklets and filling research notebooks.
The old card catalog for searching of books was replaced by a computerized system operated by WCCLS. Mary M. Puett, in May 1993, donated $72,000 to the library for the addition of a children’s reading room. In 1999, Grace Tigard Houghton donated over $500,000 to the library for the reading room, which bears her name in the new library.
In 2000, the Civic Center location was deemed too small for the library, and the City Council established a Library Construction Committee in August 2000 to plan a yet larger library – this one to be at the current library site at 13500 SW Hall Blvd.
The current Tigard Public Library opened on August 21, 2004, with speeches by Margaret Barnes, Library Director at the time, then-Mayor Craig Dirksen, Skip Stanaway, principal architect, and Eric Hoffman, Operations Manager for Hoffman Construction.
Tigard Public Library has remained the hub of the community for over 50 years. In November 2013, the Tigard Public Library celebrated 50 years of public service with a welcome from then-Mayor John L. Cook.
The library’s 10th anniversary at its present site was celebrated in August 2014, and the Tigard Public Library will mark its 20th anniversary at the current site in August 2024. The current Library Director is Halsted Bernard. A Native Garden is being developed outside the library to display indigenous plants of the Pacific Northwest.
Reading and using the library can open many doors.
Visit www.tigardhistorical.org to become a member, volunteer, or for more information about the Tigard Historical Association.
