VALLEY CITY, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – Monday, October 5th marks the 123 rd anniversary of our public library’s opening in the year 1903! We are celebrating a little early with two fun and interesting events scheduled for Thursday, October 1st .

Library Director Anita Tulp said to begin our celebration, we will welcome comedian Bill Douglas to perform for us at 5 pm in the multi-purpose room of the library. Bill is a retired middle school science teacher who uses his experiences as a teacher and father to create a family friendly comedy act geared towards older teens and adults. Bill’s goal is to perform in all 50 states and has already performed in the international arena competing at one of the largest comedy festivals in the world. We look forward to hosting this fun and
entertaining program.

At 6:30 pm in the multi-purpose room, Dr. Ashley Baggett, NDSU History professor, will present an educational event called “Pioneering Public Libraries in North Dakota” which
will highlight the role of Carnegie libraries in our North Dakota communities. Her presentation will discuss the willingness of Andrew Carnegie to fund many public libraries across the world and most importantly in our state. Dr. Baggett recognizes the “Pioneer Spirit” of North Dakotans who came together to fundraise, acquire book donations, train librarians, and gain support from cities, counties, and other organizations for the purpose of building a library. Andrew Carnegie’s belief that a public library could provide educational opportunities for those wanting to better themselves, prompted many of our North Dakota communities to request his assistance in making their public library dream come true.

Andrew Carnegie funded more than 2500 libraries worldwide of which more than 1600 were built in the United States. There are three remaining Carnegie libraries in North Dakota. Our Valley City Barnes County Public Library is one of those libraries that have remained a Carnegie library since its opening in 1903. Although the library has been expanded, the original Carnegie building is still a vital part of our library system and displays many of its original features to this day.

Please join us for these events and help celebrate the library’s 123rd anniversary. Once again, these fun and educational events will take place Thursday, October 1 st , at 5 pm and 6:30 pm in the multi-purpose room at the VCBC Public Library. Our street address is 410 Central Ave. N, Valley City, ND. If you have questions, please feel free to contact the library at 701-845-3821.