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Rural Library and Yakima Library
become Yakima Valley Regional Library

By the end of the 1940's the Yakima Valley was a checkerboard of library service areas. Sunnyside and Yakima each boasted a Carnegie library. Wapato, Selah, Buena, Toppenish and Granger had all organized their own city libraries. Smaller communities throughout the valley relied on the county library. These cities and towns took great pride in having a library, even though the costs involved kept growing.

In 1951 the county library and the city library in Yakima considered a merger. Moving books from the city library's overfilled shelves out to the rural libraries and using the city library as a cental office for the combined library system would solve some pressing problems, but they had two separate library boards and two head librarians. Who would be in charge? Follow the links below to learn how the Yakima Valley Regional Library was created.

  [1953]
Report written just as the idea of need for a new building was emerging
 YVRL Report
  January 30, 1955 Report showing growth of the library 1950 - 1954 YVRL Report
  September 25, 1957
Plans for a new building are approved
 Yakima Sunday Herald
  November 6, 1957
A copy of the program prepared for the 1957 ground breaking ceremony for the Yakima Valley Regional Library Building.
 YVRL document
  July 24, 1958
A list of 23 items that local officials selected as historically representative of their time, and then sealed within the library cornerstone as a time capsule.
 YVRL document
  January 6, 1959
A floor plan showing the layout of the main floor of the Yakima Valley Regional Library building when it opened its doors in 1959.
 Yakima Daily Republic
  January 11, 1959
Information sheet about the (1959) new building
 YVRL Report
  January 11, 1959
Opening day in 1959 for the new building
 Yakima Daily Republic
  January 11, 1959
A description of all the work and organization required to move into Yakima Valley Regional Library's brand new (in 1959) downtown facility. A side bar explains how library board members were appointed and what their responsibilities were at that time.
 Yakima Sunday Herald
  1959 1959 report to the community with information on how the regional library operated, the services provided, and service locations. YVRL Report
 

January 11, 1959

 
Program for the 1959 dedication ceremony of the Yakima Valley Regional Library building at 102 N Third Street in Yakima, Washington.
 YVRL document
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