Mount Ayr Record-News
Mount Ayr, Ringgold County, Iowa
Wednesday, November 17, 2010

It’s been 110 years since a library was open in Ellston. On Monday, November 22 that statistic changes.

After nearly three years of road blocks, naysayers and coalition building the Ellston Community Library will begin serving residents of northeast Ringgold county when it opens its "doors" in the community room of the Ellston United Methodist Church.

"A few of us started talking about this approximately three years ago," laughs Ardis GLACE, one of the committee members. "It was just a dream. But as people learned of the project I started receiving offers of help, books and even money."

Another original library lover, Nan DERSCHEID, claims this past summer's Cash for Clunkers fundraiser got the group even more motivated.

"When we saw all of the support for opening a local library we knew we had to keep moving it forward," DERSCHEID said. "While our initial intent was to help the new American Legion building reach completion and use a small space in their building, the number of books, volunteers and programming ideas grew so rapidly that our plans had to change."

Instead of opening in a section of the American Legion building, the library will open in the community room of the Ellston United Methodist Church (EUMC).

Transcription by Sharon R. Becker, November of 2010