Did you know that Sabetha has had a library or system to borrow books since the first settlers came to Sabetha? Granted, there weren’t a lot of books from which to choose, but even then, people here recognized the importance of reading and education. Our library’s namesake, Mary Cotton, was one of those who vigorously campaigned for a Free Library where everyone could borrow books without having to pay for a membership or a fee to check out a book from the “library.”

Mrs. Jackson Cotton was a relatively wealthy woman when she passed away in 1912. She had been the president of her husband’s bank, owned land in at least two counties and had a vast private collection of books that she willed to the city of Sabetha to create a Free Public Library. It was her dream that they build an actual library for the city.

The city fathers later held a public election to establish a public library in Sabetha. Not a lot of people voted that day, but the measure passed and in May 1912, the “Mary Cotton Public Library” was officially created and became a tax supported entity. The actual library building was finally built and officially opened in July 1937 with about 10,000 new and donated books, furniture, and a ready and willing crowd of readers just waiting for it to happen.

What started with a private collection of about 2,000 books has grown to more than 31,000 books, videos, games, puzzles, cake pans, wifi hotspots and computers available for public checkout. The monthly circulation for this library is more than 2,000 per month, not counting all of the e-book checkouts from our digital Sunflower E-library consortium. This is a community of readers! Literacy is a priority at the Mary Cotton Library with preschool story times, Summer Reading programs, STEM classes, and lots of good old-fashioned reading material available for all ages.

It is important to keep that love of reading alive and growing and with the continued support of our community and friends, the Mary Cotton Public Library will continue to serve all who grace its doors or access its digital libraries across the globe. The future is important and providing the best service possible for our citizens and friends can be supported by your tax exempt gifts and donations during the upcoming Give to Grow campaign at the end of November.

Mary Cotton would be pleased to see how far her initial gift has allowed her namesake to grow into the vibrant and exciting educational and social center of this town and surrounding rural area. Your gifts during Give to Grow will be augmented by matching funds donated by various groups and individuals. Please think about what you can give to help support the Mary Cotton Public Library services so that when your next generations look back to this time, they can say the future was looking good.