Hidden Treasures Found
If you live in the MOT (Middletown, Odessa, Townsend) area and haven’t visited the Corbit-Calloway Memorial Library in Odessa then you’re missing out. I was asked to give a presentation “Where Do I Start?”, focusing on family research. It was after that presentation I made it a point to go back, boy was I glad I did.
The town of Odessa itself is small and full of history. What adds heart to this quiet town is the love for their historical homes. Around every corner, you will find a home that holds history. The library itself is in what appears to be home at first glance. The history of the library is quite interesting. The library has been in the town since 1847, thanks to Dr. Corbit, it moved around to a couple different locations. It was the first free lending library in this area. After a fire in the original library, it was relocated. The library was moved to a room in the David Wilson Mansion until around 1924. The current building the library is in has been a library since the late 1960s. The Delaware room, research room, is a replica of the Wilson-Warner house, minus some of the shelving.
Currently
The library is known for its children’s program. They serve more per capita than any other library in the state of Delaware. You don’t have to be a member of the library to have access. But as most of us know numbers do count when it comes to funding, so please keep that in mind. It’s easy to become a member and takes no time and of course, it’s FREE.
I had the pleasure of meeting with Sharon and Linda on one of my visits. They were both so helpful in answering my questions and more. Not only were they gracious to give me a tour but also talk about its history and its roles. Sharon is head of the adult programming for the library. They are currently in the lead for the state in adult program registration. Linda has been with the library for thirty years. She holds a wealth of knowledge on what can be found in the research room. Trust me if you need help with anything during your visit both ladies will be more than happy to assist you.
When you visit you must go into the research room and see their Delmarva Collection. The room has information covering Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia. Everything from area cookbooks, maps, posters to family bibles and so much more. Please keep in mind they don’t have anyone on staff to conduct the research. But you can always have someone local, like myself, visit and conduct the research and retrieve documents for you. You will see further posts on this library and its collection soon.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thank you for your comments and questions. I will respond as soon as possible.