JAMESTOWN, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – In 1901, Alfred Dickey had a dream of starting a free reading room in Jamestown. This ultimately led to the construction of the Alfred Dickey Public Library in 1919.
100 years later, Alfred Dickey’s dreams of providing free reading and more to the public continues.
Members of the public, local dignitaries, library board, staff & faculty all came together on Tuesday, February 19th to celebrate the milestone. Jamestown Mayor Dwaine Heinrich honored Alfred Dickey and his son Alfred E. Dickey for their work 100 years ago to make the library a reality.

Heinrich stressed the importance of the library in today’s digital age.

Library Director Joe Rector also spoke to the small congregation of more than 30 people. Rector encouraged everyone to take in the beautiful architecture of the building, which has been preserved with the recent renovations and projects meant to keep the building in operation for the next 100 years.

Rector shared more on the history of the library and its continued importance to Jamestown and Stutsman County.

State Librarian Mary Soucie also shared some words with the group. She expressed the libraries continue to develop and grow to meet the growing demands of technology.

Soucie reports that libraries in North Dakota in 2017 had over 2.1 million visits and 3.6 million checkouts.

The Jamestown Area Chamber of Commerce hosted a ribbon cutting before the event. The Centennial Celebration continues all week long and includes a dedication of the Louis L’Amour room, dedication of the Daphne Drewello room, family games and more.
Click here for the full schedule of events.