How East Bend, NC, Got Its Library, 1986

By Jean Marlow, Tar Heel Homemakers January-March, 1986

At last, the long-held dream of a public library for the small town of East Bend in northeast North Carolina has become a reality, primarily through the efforts of the East Bend Extension Homemakers and the East Bend Ruritans.

After years of frustration because they had no library, EH and Ruritans met in July, 1984, to discuss what would have to be done to have a library, appointed a committee to work with the Regional Library and the Yadkinville Public Library, conducted a survey and found support.

The committee met with the Yadkin County Library Board, got positive response and a list of requirements to be met to be able to secure the loan of books.

All requirements were met in six days, and the board was so impressed with the effort and quality of work, the loan of books was promised, and with the funds from EH and Ruritans, renovation of a building formerly a grocery store began in May. The library opened June 5.

The first new book, The Carolina Quaker Experience, was donated by two EH members. The library is open Tuesday from 4 to 8 and Saturday from 9 to 12 and is staffed completely by volunteers, many EH members.

Open house was held September 22 with members of the East Bend and Fall Creek EH Clubs providing refreshments Fall Creek members also made a substantial cash contribution to the library fund.

On opening day, after playing Little League baseball, a group of young boys in uniform came running through the door and headed for the children’s section, showing the same enthusiasm for books as for baseball! Each day the library has been open has brought in patrons, from as few as 12 to as many as 89.

The EH and Ruritans held a beef barbeque and made $2,000 for a fund for the next goal of buying the building. Other fund-raising projects are underway.

NCEHA has a constitution which states that the purpose of the association is to educate members in ways of promoting higher standards of family living, homemaking and citizenship responsibility. Those lessons have been well-learned and used by East Ben EH.