The Medina Circulating Library Society, formed in 1877, was the first library in Medina County. It was organized by Professor W. R. Commings. For approximately ten years it was housed in various businesses around town and run by the shop’s owner at a salary ranging from $10 to $25 a year. It was financed by members’ dollar-a-year dues and various other donations.
In 1899, the Medina Circulating Library Society became Medina Library Association by incorporating through the state. A small building on the north side of the Public Square was purchased. The library remained there until the construction of the Franklin Sylvester Library where the library is still housed today.
On January 19, 1982, the library board voted to change our service area from a school district library to a county system and we became the Medina County District Library . The Medina library continues to be Franklin Sylvester Library as was instructed by Mr. Franklin Sylvester’s will. Yearly appointments to the board are made alternately by the Medina County Commissioners and the Medina County Common Pleas Court. The library’s financial structure remains the same.
The citizens of Medina County passed a .75 mil operating levy in 1987 which, in addition to providing operating expenses, allowed for the purchase of a new bookmobile (the others having been retired years before) and in June of 1990 the purchase of the Law and Commerce Building adjacent to the Medina library. After renovations the administration offices, Public Information office, Collection Development, Technical Services, and Extension Services moved in.
The Medina County District Library system currently has approximately 412,128 items in our collection with a circulation of 1,896,230 in 1996. There were 3,080 programs offered last year with an attendance of 793,599. In less than 10 years, the Franklin Sylvester Library will have it 100th anniversary. Wouldn’t Mr. Sylvester be surprised if he could see the changes that have happened over this century!
