History

At a 4th of July picnic in 1899, a group of ladies, all members of the Coterie Club, sold lemonade and ice cream to the town’s people. The club netted $200 at this celebration. With this money, they purchased the 1st books and founded the Woodward Public Library. The library was housed in various buildings and each member of the club took her turn being the librarian. 

As Woodward began to grow, city officials took an interest in the library, and soon the Coterie Club sold its assets to the City of Woodward for $190, the amount the members had donated to start the library. In 1917, with a $10,000 donation from Andrew Carnegie, a new building was completed at 1217 8th Street.

It wasn’t until 1988 that the library moved again. This time, to an old post office building, which the City of Woodward purchased and renovated. As of today, the library is still located at 1500 Main.

Mission

The mission of the Woodward Public Library is:

• To provide equal access to informational, educational, cultural, and recreational library materials and services in a variety of formats and technologies

• To be responsive to the public library needs of the community

• To provide a welcoming atmosphere through a highly trained team of individuals committed to quality service