Library’s 60th Anniversary Party on March 26

Do you know these faces? Donated to the Library by Marilyn Loth, the niece of former Librarian Dorothy Loth, the only information we have is that the event is suspected to be a workshop held in an unidentified location. Please contact the Library at 747-3419 or visit if you can help match names to faces.

The Shellbrook Public Library invites the community to come celebrate its 60th Anniversary at the Library on Monday, March 26, at 2:00 pm. The Library adds to its history as it moves through its fifth decade.

The Library invites the community to join its 60th Diamond Anniversary party on Monday, March 26. There will be a short program starting at 2:00 pm with cake and refreshments served afterwards. There will be displays of the Library history and the 1961 NFB film “Books for Beaver River” will be available for viewing. This nineteen minute story chronicles the creation of the regional library system and was shot locally with local people. Thank you to members and friends of the LaClaire Family for identifying Kenny LaClaire and Patty Perkins as the boy and girl on the Rayside School swing set.

The first volunteer librarians were J. G. Heatherington, Mrs. Thomas Rowles, and Vesta Massey. Since the Library’s inauguration the librarians that have served the community have been: Vesta Massey from 1952 to 1960; Dorothy Loth in 1960; Doris Smith from 1961 to 1975; Dorothy Perkins from 1975 to 1977, Anne Anderson in 1978, Brenda Kinnaird in 1978 to 1979; the longest serving Hazel Barkway from fall 1979 to June 1994; Linda Mazurkewich began working in July 1994 (Diane Aug served as acting librarian in 2002) and Mazurkewich retired in March 2007 with Alanna Carswell starting in April 2007 and serving to the present.

As previously told, the location of the Library was Halliwell Hardware, the Ladies Restroom, the Elks Theatre, Dorothy’s Floral Shop probably in 1960, Norman Smith’s Shellbrook Furniture Store (presently Dee Gee's Confectionery) from about 1961 to 1977, Shellbrook Credit Union from 1977 to 1984, a custom built building (presently Triple S. Transport) on the corner of Main Street and 3rd Avenue from 1984 to 1996, and into the Provincial Building at 105 Railway Avenue West from 1996 to the present day. In June 1997 the card catalogue was automated and in June 2010 the automated catalogue went provincial, joining the Saskatchewan Information & Library Services (SILS) Consortium.

Notable fiction books published in 2002, the Library’s fiftieth year, were “Coraline” by Neil Gaiman, “The Secret Life of Bees” by Sue Monk Kidd, “Family Matters” by Rohinton Mistry, “The Summons” by John Grisham, “Grave Secrets” (Temperance Brennan series, #5) by Kathy Reichs, “2nd Chance” (Women's Murder Club series, #2) by James Patterson, “Lady Knight” (Protector of the Small series, #4) by Tamora Pierce, and “The Carnivorous Carnival” (A Series of Unfortunate Events series, #9) by Lemony Snicket, “Franklin Says I Love You” (Franklin the Turtle series, #27) by Paulette Bourgeois and Sharon Jennings and illustrated by Brenda Clark.