Artist's rendering of NCPL's first home: a Carnegie Library completed in 1910 on the corner of Second & Durbin Streets.
NCPL History
The Natrona County Public Library System traces its origins to a reading room established and operated by the Women's Christian Temperance Union in 1902. A Library Association was organized on November 3, 1903 and this organization secured a $10,000 grant from philanthropist Andrew Carnegie to construct a library. C.A. Randall designed the building and Charles Galusha was awarded the $10,375 construction contract. After two years, the library was still incomplete and funds were depleted. Carnegie agreed to donate another $3,000, however, the building still remained unfinished. The Town Council presented the building and the city-owned property - now the corner of Second and Durbin Streets - to Natrona County. The County assumed responsibility for the library on November 3, 1909 and the white-domed Carnegie Library opened to the public on May 20, 1910. About 300 people attended the opening reception and dance.
By 1919 there were 850 books on the shelves and 200 borrowers. In the mid-1920s an addition to the back of the original Carnegie building provided a Durbin Street entrance and more than doubled the library's capacity. In 1929, the library was designated a Selective Depository for government documents in the Federal Depository Library Program.
In August 1950, a $260,000 library expansion bond was passed and in January 1954, a 7,548 square-foot addition to the east was opened. The Library's nine employees circulated 138,283 books to 5,658 borrowers. Casper's population was then 23,673.
In 1956, the first bookmobile began operation in a converted grocery delivery truck. In 1967, Natrona County's population was 56,000, library cards numbered 18,328, circulation hit 247,601 and the library held 67,812 books and 203 magazines. The Friends of the Library was also established in 1967. They held their first annual used book sale in 1972, from which they have raised upwards of $500,000 over the years.
In 1967, a bond issue was proposed to purchase additional land, raze the original Carnegie building and the neighboring American Legion building, purchase a bookmobile (a converted school bus), and improve the Midwest-Edgerton Branch Library. The bond failed by 349 votes, but backers led by board member Jim Crawford persevered and in August of 1969, a $1 million bond passed. In providing the new structure, the original Carnegie and the 1920s addition were demolished. The resulting main library addition was dedicated in 1972 with a weeklong celebration. The Friends of the Library, along with area business people and residents, commissioned the 16-foot bronze sculpture of Prometheus to be set in front of the curving window wall in the outdoor plaza. Prometheus is sited close to where the Carnegie building's front doors once faced Second Street. The Crawford Room is named after long time Library Board member Jim Crawford (terms: 1946-1957 & 1965-1971).
Under head librarian Ken Dowlin, the first venture in the U.S. between a public library and a cable television company went into operation. In 1971, a converted bus christened the "Reading Roustabout" replaced the grocery truck becoming the library's second bookmobile. In 1981, a replacement bookmobile was purchased with $50,000 of One-Cent Optional Sales Tax dollars.
The Natrona County Public Library Foundation was incorporated in 1972 to aid the library in securing money for library capital improvements and for financial support of the general library program. It is a public foundation and exempt from Federal income tax under IRS Code 501(c) (3). It's Articles of Incorporation were modified in 2000 to create an independent board.
In 1993, NCPL became the nation's 75th Patent and Trademark Depository Library (PTDL) and housed this research collection until 2001. In September 1995, the current Children's Library, funded primarily by optional one-cent sales tax money, was opened.
The present facility consists of two wings, the east wing that opened in 1954 as an addition to the Carnegie building, and the main wing, built in 1972, replacing the Carnegie Library entirely. Total area is roughly ---30,000 sf. A renovation of public spaces was completed in 1998.
In 2004, the library took delivery of a new bookmobile and expanded mobile service. During that same year the library created a Teen Zone and Tech Center. The library circulated 514,951 items during FY04-05.
