Library the county’s information center
Magness Community House and Library is beginning its 73rd year as a major contributor to the quality of life in the McMinnville-Warren County community by providing full public library services for the education and recreation of the residents.
The mission of Magness Library is “to provide full library services to the people of McMinnville and Warren County, striving to furnish all segments of the population with free materials and information for educational and pleasurable purposes.”
In 1920, Mary Cunningham used her own books, time and effort, to create a public library for Warren County. With her encouragement, entrepreneur William H. Magness erected the library building as a memorial to his father and brother – a gift that would enduringly enhance the quality of life of the citizens of the area.
Located at the corner of West Main and Chancery streets, the structure was completed Nov. 5, 1931. All businesses in town closed their doors to allow their employees to attend the dedication ceremony at the site. With a large crowd in attendance that day, the cornerstone was laid for the building that remains, today, as the information and cultural center of Warren County.
Up-to-date computer technology has changed the way most things are done inside the stately, cut limestone edifice. Both books and library cards are bar coded; the card catalog is now computerized so patrons can actually see the book cover on the screen; and a computer-generated list of the transaction is given to each patron when he or she checks out books. The circulation system was completely upgraded this past November with the installation of the new Surpass Software.
Computers allow patron access to many information databases, including the Tennessee Electronic Library. If the local library does not own a book requested by a patron, it can be borrowed through the Interlibrary Loan system – also via computer.
In addition to the six public access computers on the premises, Magness Library’s staff of eight have computers at their desks, allowing them to work more efficiently and effectively.
With the world inside its walls, through computer technology, Magness Library is as big as the biggest library in the country, as far-reaching as the most powerful in the world and as easy, or easier, to use than it ever was. The library currently houses 38,085 volumes and has a patron database of 12,890.
Although the staff is small, the quality of programs and services provided is impressive. In addition to the main collection which includes adult fiction and non-fiction books, videos, audios and periodicals, Magness houses five specialized departments: Genealogy, Horticulture, Southern Heritage, Children’s and Young Adults’.
The Genealogy Department contains Warren County and Tennessee history books, Civil War volumes, diaries and census records. Many census records are on microfilm as are some court documents prior to 1965 as well as the Southern Standard newspaper through September 2003. Many bound volumes of older editions of the Standard are also kept there. Visitors from across the United States visit the library to conduct genealogical research; and, increasingly, research questions are received via mail and e-mail.
The Horticulture Room is filled with books about plant life, including volumes on flowers and vegetable gardening, trees and shrubs, flower arranging and much more.
The Southern Heritage Room contains a non-fiction collection of books about the history, geography, music, art, food, and so forth, of the South. The fiction collection is comprised of books by Southern authors. A complete set of “The Heartland Series,” a filmed collection of stories set in Southern Appalachia, is available for checkout.
The Children’s Department offers fiction and non-fiction books and videos for all ages, from toddlers through middle school age. The adjacent Young Adults’ Room contains books suitable for teen-agers and young adults.
Magness Library offers programs and special events throughout the year. The Visiting Author Schedule annually brings in from 10 to 20 authors from across the country to lecture, read from their works and autograph copies of their books.
The library’s Summer and Winter Reading Programs are available to both children and adults. Each summer, the Children’s Reading Program presents special events, weekly, in addition to Story Hour. Events are planned for Summer 2004 to include visits from the Aquarium of he Smokies ad Bruce Amato’s “Red, White and Blue Magic,” as well as puppet shows, musical presentations and more. The Children’s Department presents Story Hour at 10:30 a.m. each Thursday morning.
“Dial-A-Story” is a popular library feature which allows children to listen to recorded stories on the phone when calling 473-6778.
Volunteer workers assist the staff throughout the library, enabling the institution to increase and enhance services to the public.
The library currently has rooms that are available to non-profit community groups for meetings. There is no charge for use of the space, though donations are appreciated. These rooms must be reserved in advance and left neat and clean.
Free computer classes will be offered at the library this spring and fall. Tours of the library and presentations of the library program are offered with advance notice to church, school and civic groups. To arrange a library visit, call the library manager at 931-473-2418.
Library hours are: Monday and Tuesday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Wednesday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thursday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. The fax number is 931-473-6778.
Magness Community House and Library is funded by money allocated in the budgets of Warren County and the city of McMinnville, as well as by grants and private donations. The library has a strong Memorial Gift Program, whereby individuals and organizations donate money to the library to buy books in memory of relatives, friends and business associates. The generosity of the community in this respect allows the library to add significantly to its collections.
The library welcomes residents of Warren County to visit, make use of it resources and services and enjoy the many educational and cultural opportunities offered there.