Library Phasing in “Coshocton County District Library”

The Coshocton Public Library is in the process of phasing in use of its legal name, Coshocton County District Library, a name it has held since 1950 but has not exclusively used.

The library has operated as Coshocton Public Library since 1904, the year the Carnegie Library opened. During this time, the library was classified as a municipal library intended to serve the city population. In 1950, the library was classified as a county district library meant to serve the countywide population.

“We know from the work of former library employee, Diane Zuro Jones, that prior to the library being classified as a county district library in 1950, the work was already being done,”said Library Director Jennifer Austin. Margaret Sahling was the director at the time and oversaw the establishment of the Branch library in West Lafayette in 1936. “It is noteworthy that Sahling identified a need in the county and sought to remedy the need prior to the legal classification,” Austin remarked. 

Use of the library’s legal name will more accurately represent the type of library serving Coshocton County. “It’s important that the library’s name represent its identity. We want the community to understand that the library is here to serve the whole of Coshocton County, and an added bonus should be that we can streamline the name used with vendors for accounting,” stated Austin.

The Coshocton County Library System consists of the Main Library in Coshocton, a Branch Library in West Lafayette, and a Bookmobile that visits stops all over the county in addition to the three local school districts.  

The name phase-in will take place over the coming days, months, and years. This is due to conserving funds by only updating branded items as replacements are needed.

For inquiries about the Coshocton County District Library, visit www.coshoctonlibrary.org, phone 740-622-0956, or email info@coshoctonlibrary.org.