CLAFLIN — The Claflin Independent Township Library will have an open house from 2 to 5 p.m., after the All-School Reunion Parade, on May 29. Refreshments will be served in the meeting room. The library is located at 108 Main in Claflin.

The library will be observing 50 years of service to the community and will be held on the same day as the Claflin All School Reunion.

The library was first organized in June of 1961 by a Lion’s Club committee and other interested persons. The library opened with donated books in the American Legion Hall which is now the community center. Book collections were ordered from the traveling libraries commission and family library cards issued for a year were sold for a dollar.

In September of 1961, the library was moved to the lobby of the old Lux Theatre which was no longer in operation, and the library sponsored summer movies along with the ever popular Children’s Summer Reading Programs. Beverly Salmon was the librarian at that time.

In November of 1962, the Independent Township voted to support the library with a tax levy of .25 mills. The township library board at that time included James Dennis, Lendon Brinson, Harold Grossardt, Fritz Eggers, Edgar Disque and Mrs. Ernest Grossardt.

On Dec. 30, 1964, there was an Operation Book Move as volunteers set about to move 1,040 books from the lobby of the Lux Theatre to a building at 223 North Main which was owned by Lydia Ruch. At that time, Ruth Brunts was hired as librarian.

In August of 1972, Martina Luebbers was hired as librarian and served in this capacity until January of 1989. In September of 1977, the library was moved to 217 North Main.

In February of 1993, thanks to the $20,000 federal grant and matching funds from Bob and Lucille Branan and a Stumps Foundation Grant and other donations from the community, the Independent Township Library was able to purchase a building (the former IGA). The new site is located at 108 Main and with extensive remodeling meets the standards of the American Disabilities Act. The move of 10,000 books was made with the help of volunteers on March 20, 1993. On March 27, 1993 the library was reopened for business.

Judy Wondra has served the library from January 1989 to the present as library director. Wondra says the library has seen many changes over the years. The addition of five computers for public use, talking books, CDs, DVD’s, and now e-readers and playaways. The library has a public meeting room, large print books, magazines, Hoisington Dispatches, old Claflin newspapers some original, some on microfilm, all types of sheet music, free internet services, interlibrary loan service, rotating books, story hour and Summer Reading Programs. They are now members of the Pathfinder Central, an online catalog. Great advances have been made .

The library is open 19 hours a week. Hours of operation are Mondays, 3:30 to 8 p.m., Tuesdays and Fridays, 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. , Thursdays,1 to 5:30 p.m., and Saturdays, 9 a.m. to noon.

The present library board members are Jim Vance, Nedra Blazek, Patty Stueder, Dorothy Brinson, Norma Schneweis and Randy Oeser as Township Trustee.

The Summer Reading Program at the Claflin Independent Township Library will start 9 a.m. on Saturday, June 4. The theme this year is One World, Many Stories. The director this year is Rachael Stueder.

At 2 p.m. on Thursday, June 9, Dan the Magic Man will be at the library for his magic show.

The programs will return again to 9 a.m. on Saturday mornings. On Saturday, June 18, the program will be conducted by the Kansas Wetlands Education Center at the library at 9 a.m. and on Saturday, June 25, the Great Bend Zoo will be entertaining the children at 9 a.m.

The July sessions will be on Saturday, July 2, and Saturday, July 9.

The programs are open to all children preschool age through the 5th grade. The programs are free, and each week there will be drawings for prizes for all readers and for children who may just walk in the door. There are all types of games, activities, crafts and programs planned for this year’s summer reading program.

To enroll, call the library at 620-587-3488, or email jwondra@hbcomm.net, or call Rachael Stueder at 620-587-3716.