The Spirit of Community in Delano is defined by the
Creativity, Resilience, and Community Investment of its people.
160 Railroad Ave
Delano Library
built 1975
The Delano Public Library has served the community from several locations since its beginnings in 1930, reflecting both the library’s growth and Delano’s changing downtown. It began in Brown’s Drug Store before moving to the Village Council Chambers in 1940, and by 1952 had a paid librarian. The library joined the Great River Regional Library system in 1969 and subsequently operated from St. Joseph’s Educational Building and, beginning in 1974, the former fire barn on Bridge Avenue, which was renovated by the Crow River Women’s Club. In 2004, the library moved into the former Delano State Bank site, continuing a long tradition of adapting historic community spaces to provide library service to generations of Delano residents.
On November 11, 1939 the first Delano Community Library was opened by the governing board of John F. Tischler, Richard Lebovsky, Mrs. William Sutton and Mrs. Gudrun Greenfield in the Brown’s Drugstore on River street. Gudrun had been a librarian at the University of Minnesota before moving to Delano.
In 1940 the library moved to the village Council Chambers in the City Hall. In 1952 the city passed a mill tax that allowed the private library to become a public one, with a paid librarian. The collection consisted of two walls of books covered with bamboo shades.
In 1969 the Delano library became part of the Great River Regional Library system, a 32-library system encompassing seven counties. Needing more space by then, the library relocated to a room in Handzel Hall, the St. Joseph’s Educational building.
The community library included 80 books that were discards from the Minneapolis Young Quinlan lending library, but deemed in excellent condition. Membership in the community library was $1.
Volunteer librarians included Mrs. R.E. Weller, Mrs. Alfred Strassburger, Mrs E.C. Brown, Mrs. James R. Null, Mrs. J. B. Hills, Mrs C.N. Lundsten, Mrs. Harry Kuka, Mrs. Bert Gilmer, Mrs. Gerhard Von Bank, Mrs. Zwick, Mrs. T. Greenfield and Mrs. William Sutton.
In 1940 the library moved to the village Council Chambers in the City Hall. In 1952 the city passed a mill tax that allowed the private library to become a public one, with a paid librarian. The collection consisted of two walls of books covered with bamboo shades.
In 1969 the Delano library became part of the Great River Regional Library system, a 32-library system encompassing seven counties. Needing more space by then, the library relocated to a room in Handzel Hall, the St. Joseph’s Educational building.
The library soon needed more space again, and 1974 moved back to the Old City Hall, this time in the area that that had once been used as the fire barn. The space was renovated, remodeled and refurnished by the Crow River Federated Women’s Club. It opened on March 8, 1974.
In 1983 the GFWC remodeled the former Council Chambers to add a children’s area, along with new shelving and a check out desk. In 1998 a third room was added for the expanding library.
In 2004 the library moved again, to the former State Bank of Delano on Railroad Avenue, with the help of the City of Delano, the Friends of the Library, and the GFWC. This move gave the library 2,030 square feet of space, and a state-of-the-art library facility.
The library has remained at this location since that time.
The content of this page is brought to you by the Delano Spirit of Community Trail Committee in honor of Delano's 150th Anniversary.