The Martin County Library in Fairmont will mark a special occasion as it turns 50 years old on Oct. 11.

Construction of the building began in 1968 on the site of the former Carnegie Library. The $440,000 building has been a mainstay in the community, withstanding and adapting to technological and community changes along the way.

Martin County Library director Jenny Trushenski shared her thoughts on the library’s continued existence and popularity.

“Everything’s changed in 50 years, libraries included,” she said. “I think the building was really built well because we haven’t had to make a ton of changes in terms of remodeling. The two biggest things that have changed is that the pit in the children’s area was filled in in the ’90s, and then also in the ’90s our restrooms were remodeled to be handicap-accessible.

“Other than that, we haven’t really done much to the main structure of the building. We’ve obviously added more electrical outlets and wiring for computers and wi-fi. We re-carpeted in the ’90s and we re-carpeted recently, so that’s a visual change.

“I feel like if you were here when it first opened and you walked in the front door it wouldn’t look that different,” she said. “We still have our dark wood paneling and the brick walls that have stood the test of time.”

Trushenski noted that the biggest change at the library in 50 years is its use.

“The library now is not as quiet of a space as it once was,” she said. “All libraries have embraced being that community space for everyone to come and hang out. Having all the technology in the building has really changed. We didn’t have lots of public computers when it opened in 1969 and we had microfiche and microfilm at that time.”

One of the touted features of the new library was the basement meeting room, still in use for a variety of activities. Another thing that has changed is how people utilize the resources the library has to offer.

“I think research has changed so much,” Trushenski said. “Whether it’s people in elementary school, high school or even college, they’re not looking for physical books as much. A lot of that is done online, so our collection has changed.

“We’re not as academic or educational in nature in our collection as we are more about leisure reading and entertainment. That’s all driven by demand by the public. We want to have what people want because their tax dollars are what funds the operations here.

“So we’ve had some grants that enabled us to buy some early literacy things, we have the kids iPads and other things that we’ve set up and people do love that.”

Before the county library, Fairmont’s original library served the community for 90 years. Forerunner of the first library was an organization known as the Home Literary Society, comprised largely of the wives and daughters of early businessmen and farmers. The Society held regular meetings at which members gave book reviews and held discussions on current topics.

According to another Sentinel article, merging the Martin County Library and the Fairmont Public Library took about 14 years of study and negotiation. At one point, a meeting was held between the county and city library boards with the county commissioners. At that meeting, the city board voted against the merger, which was put on hold for 10 years.

Fortunately, things eventually worked out and the current library system still provides educational and other benefits to this day. Trushenski said she is glad libraries have remained relevant.

“You just kind of have to change your focus a little bit because people’s needs are different,” she said. “It’s good that we can have things still available for people.”

The library will have some displays and trivia happening the week of Oct. 6 to celebrate. Also helping celebrate the anniversary will be Minnesota author Allen Eskens, a former attorney and full-time writer. More information on the history of the library can be found at the Martin County Historical Society.