Library History

The Plum Lake Public Library was first established in 1939 by the Plum Lake Woman’s club.  Their first official lending library contained 200 books and was housed in the basement of the Sayner Elementary School.

In 1976, when the school was torn down, the Library moved to the basement of the Plum Lake Town Hall. Community support and use of the library spurred the growth of the library and by 1985, it was evident that the area needed a more accessible library with room for more materials.  The library expansion fund was started.  With the generous support of community organizations and individuals, a wonderful new handicapped accessible facility on Main Street was opened up in 1992.  At that time, the library’s collection had grown to include over 11,000 items, including books, videos and audio materials.

Library services continue to flourish.  The collection has nearly doubled since that 1992 expansion, to include over 20,000 items for circulation as well as state-of-the-art technology resources.  The Plum Lake Public Library is a source of community pride for the township of Plum Lake and St. Germain as well.

In 2004, a major campaign for an addition was started with a $50,000 legacy from Phoebe Swazey.  From there, the Sayner, Star Lake and St. Germain communities have put their support behind a much needed 32′ x 40′ addition to the library.  The overcrowded children’s collection has been moved into the new addition.  Audio visual materials such as books on tape, CDs, videos and DVDs have been moved into the current children’s area.