History of the St. Michaels Branch
Talbot County Free Library
The Talbot County Free Library first opened to the public on October 15, 1925, with one branch in Easton, Maryland.
June 25th, St. Michaels Branch Library opened in a small storefront on Talbot St. It was completely staffed by volunteers. Its creation was largely due to the efforts of Mrs. Elisabeth Carroll, who had just retired as Director of the Talbot County Free Library.
July 1, St. Michaels Branch gets its first paid staff member, Branch Manager Shauna Beulah.
St. Michaels Branch is notified that the building they are in is for sale and they will have to vacate the premises,
June 21, St. Michaels Branch is moved to larger quarters in a renovated building that had been the Town Garage at 106 Fremont St. The building was leased to the library for $1.00 a year by the Town.
Building conditions, expanded use, and space limitations at the branch lead to a capital campaign by the Library’s Board of Trustees, as well as the development of Talbot County Council capital funds, to enlarge and renovate the branch.
Pamela P. Gardner, AIA, LLC was selected to be the architect.
The remodeled, 7,500 square-foot St. Michaels branch opens on Aug. 29th. A cooperative effort by TCFL, the Town of St. Michaels and the Talbot County Council, the 7,500 sq. ft. multifunctional facility offered space for twice as many books, a larger meeting room with new A.V. equipment that also functions as a community center, nine public internet workstations, a drive-up book drop, a reading garden and much more. The new and much larger meeting room was named for Jane Lowe, a longtime TCFL Trustee, volunteer and major supporter of St. Michaels Branch Library.
The American Library Association picks an image of the St. Michaels Branch to represent the classic American library in an ALA Public Service Announcement.
Following the recommendations made by the Talbot County Free Library’s 2013 Twenty Year Facilities Master Plan, work began on prioritizing needs and seeking funding for the renovation and possible expansion of the St. Michaels Branch Library during the next five years. Talbot County Free Library requested county capital funds for the renovation and expansion of the St. Michaels Branch. This project is added to the county’s capital projects for FY2019.
Talbot County Free Library Budget Message to County Council, March 2, 2017 by Library Director, Dana Newman: “While the St. Michaels branch is well loved by its patrons, the branch, at just over 7,000 square feet, cannot adequately meet the space needs required for its collection, public computers, free Wifi, programming, community meeting space, and other patron services. Even if we did not expand the St. Michaels branch, the facility still requires more than $350,000 in deferred capital maintenance and repairs in the next few years. The St. Michaels Branch serves as a vital community center and needs an expansion of the children’s, teen, technology, and collaborative work and meeting room spaces to better serve the Bay Hundred and Tilghman Island communities. It is critical that the proposed expansion of the St. Michaels branch—which is already envisioned in the County’s FY 2019 capital improvement plan—stay on track.”
The Talbot County Free Library Board of Trustees approves the new 2018 – 2022 Strategic plan for the library. The second strategic direction in the plan states:
“Talbot County Free Library is an active presence in our community and creates versatile, accessible, and welcoming spaces that support discovery, provide enjoyment, and enrich lives.”
Goal 1: “TCFL will expand and renovate the St. Michaels branch so that it will offer resources appropriate to a 21st century library.”
Due to a number of capital projects already underway, the renovation/expansion of the St. Michaels Library is moved to the county’s capital budget for FY2022 for design and to FY2024 for construction.
Library Director, Dana Newman, writes and is awarded a Library Services and Technology grant for a feasibility study for the expansion of the St. Michaels Branch. Pam Gardiner was awarded the project. The Talbot County Free Library Board of Trustees plans a capital fundraising campaign for the renovation and expansion of the branch.
The state of Maryland through the Library Capital Grant Program awards a capital grant for the design of the St. Michaels Library.
The County provides matching funds for design. The design of the new library begins.
Design is completed and construction on the expansion starts. The Library Foundation and Friends of the Library pledge funding toward the purchase of new books for the new St. Michaels Library when it opens in early 2026.
A temporary St. Michaels Library is opened at the St. Michaels Shopping Center behind the Shore United Bank.