Kasson’s newest wonder now open; the library

Pouring rain couldn’t stop the hundreds of people who splashed their way into the new Kasson Public Library for the ribbon cutting ceremony Saturday.
Library Director Art Tiff opened the event by welcoming everyone to the ‘health club for the brain,’ and quipped, “It’s great to see so many brains.” 
He explained that in 1899, 10 ladies contributed 10 books – which cost about 10 cents each – to form a lending library. Since that time, the library has been housed in various places and has grown to service about 12,000 people, employ five staff members and maintain a collection of 24,000 items. Tiff thanked the almost countless number of people who donated time, money, and energy to the new library; in particular, Building Committee Chair, Earlene King, who, “through good and bad times, she kept going;” city Finance Director, Nancy Zaworski, “hats off to her, she kept me sane;” site Superintendent Dave Olschewski, whom Tiff christened ‘Super Dave,’ for his tireless work on the structure; and Building Committee Member John Talcott who has served on the committee since it was formed in March 2000, “when my hair was a nice brown,” quipped Talcott.
Tarik Kamel, chair of the Library Board said he, “…watched the transition from a cramped former post office next to a bar and laundromat to this spacious green space next to a church, ball field, and eventually a playground. Thank you for this library.”
Southeastern Libraries Cooperating Automation Librarian, Donovan Lambright has been with that organization for 16 years. During that time he has seen eight libraries either open or significantly expand in the region. He quoted librarian Katherine Sharp who wrote in 1898 that the library is, “a laboratory, a workshop, a school, a university of the people, from which the