Lydia Margaret BARRETTE

BARRETTE, WELLS

Posted By: Sharon R Becker (email)
Date: 4/6/2011 at 21:06:31

Lydia Margaret Barrette

Lydia Margaret BARRETTE is librarian of the Mason City Public Library. This library is an interesting index of cultural interests in this very progressive commercial center of Northern Iowa. The main library building was erected in 1903, and is a Carnegie library. The management of the library is entrusted to a board of trustees of five members. Miss Barrette has a staff of ten assistants. The library in recent years has made many improvements in its service, with a view to bringing its facilities to the people, and at the present time the registration of borrowers is about forty-two per cent of the population. Four-teen library stations have been established over the city where books may be borrowed. The Book Pilot, published by the library staff and the book review department of the Woman's Club, have done some valuable work in improving the quality of community reading.

Miss BARRETTE was born in Rock Island, Illinois, daughter of George M. and Martha (WELLS) BARRETTE. Her father was born in Louisiana and died in 1915, and her mother was a native of Vermont and died in 1928. Her father was a business man.

Miss BARRETTE, the oldest of three children, attended school at Rock Island, graduated from the Davenport High School in 1900 and in 1903 took the Bachelor of Arts degree in Cornell College of Iowa. Her first work as librarian was in the Davenport Public Library, where she remained four years. Following that she was at Jacksonville, Illinois, and in 1921 was called to take charge of the Carnegie Library at Mason City. Miss BARRETTE completed her professional training in library work in the Western Reserve University at Cleveland, Ohio.

SOURCE:
HARLAN, Edgar Rubey, LL.B., A.M. A Narrative History of The People of Iowa: With Special Treatment of Their Chief Enterprises in Education, Religion, Valor, Industry, Business. . . Vol. III. American Historical Society. 1931.

Transcription by Debbie Clough Gerischer for IAGenWeb's History Project