History

Timeline

1912 - R. A. Long opens lending library in his drug store on North Pacific (now Broadway); $1 per year subscription fee; Plainview Public Library established by the Mystic Club and the Travel Study Club

1913 - June 25 - The Mystic Club and the Travel Study Club formally open a library which was housed, at first, at City Hall on the corner of 7th and Austin Streets, then at the Odd Fellows Hall (Campbell Building?) when space was outgrown, then back to City Hall.

1922 - Library moves to a room in the NE corner of the new City Auditorium, corner of 9th & Broadway.

1929 - Financial support from the City of Plainview begins.

1953 - Ruby Curry becomes the librarian of the Plainview Public Library.

1955 - Story hour on Saturday mornings begins in the summer.

1957 - Mrs. Unger visits with Ruby Curry at the Hilton indicating she wants the Ungers to leave their mark.

1958 - Mrs. Unger agrees to choose and buy site for library and contributes $50,000 ($5,208 was also received from the sale of her home on 913 Austin Street) for construction of a library.

1959 - April 7 - Announcement of the coming of a memorial library in Plainview Daily Herald.

1960 - August 14 - Dedication of the Unger Memorial Library on the former site of the First Christian Church on the corner of 9th and Austin Streets; land was sold for $15,000.

1967 - $200,000 addition is built, financed by a $100,000 bond and matching grant from the state library.

1972 - Ruby Curry resigns; Judy Smith becomes the first professional librarian of the Unger Library.

1983 - John Sigwald becomes librarian of the Unger Memorial Library and serves as county librarian.

1984 - Unger Library designated a Texas Heritage Resource Center by the Texas Historical Foundation.

1987 - July 13 - Friends of the Library is incorporated as a not-for-profit organization (formed April 1987); Hale County Literacy Program begins. Hale County, Texas, Bibliography published.

1988 - May - Automated circulation system is implemented.

1990 - Library begins hosting semi-annual blood drives sponsored by United Blood Services in Lubbock.

1991 - February 14 - The Hale County Literacy Council is incorporated as a not-for-profit organization (formed on December 12, 1990).

1991 - October - Automated catalog replaces the card catalog.

1996 - April - First public access to the Internet through computer won at OCLC booth at ALA meeting.

2000 - "Mooey" Decimal System fiberglass cow added as part of the Chamber of Commerce "Cattle" Drive.