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Bentley Municipal Library
2005
Bentley, Alberta


Credits:
Bentley Museum Society

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BENTLEY MUNICIPAL LIBRARY
As stated in the June 25, 1991 Bentley Bugle, May Johnson writes: "In 1949, Bentley's first Library Board was chosen from members of the Home and School Association. Don Carlyle Sr. was elected Chairman, with other Board Members being Edwin Reed, Nellie Craig, Kathleen Smith and Rea Peterson. The first Library was in a small room in Bentley School. As there was not such a thing as grants in those days, groups and the general public were asked to donate books from their own collections. The response was very successful and approximately 200 books were collected. These books were sorted and catalogued by volunteers. Mrs. Beulah Dickau was the first Librarian. She worked three days a week for fifty cents a day. The regional Library started in the County about 1959 and Rea Peterson was Bentley's Representative on this Board." May goes on to write, "The Bentley School burned down in 1972 and all records and books were lost. It is with thanks to Rea Peterson that the earlier history is known."
In May 1977, the new Bentley Library opened, and was located in the Bentley Village Office on Main Street. Lorraine Stevenson, the Village Secretary, was also the Librarian and continued through until 1980 with Mary Wilton assisting her from 1978 on. Grants were received from the Village of Bentley, County of Lacombe and Parkland Regional Library to assist in increasing the book collection.
In May of 1980, the Bentley Municipal Library was formed. The location remained the same with Mary Wilton taking over the Librarian's duties which she continued to perform until January of 1989. During this time, Pearl Boettger and Phyllis Wright acted as Assistant Librarians. As a Municipal Library, the Board became eligible for an annual operating grant from the Library Services Branch of Alberta Cultural and Multiculturalism. This, along with grants from the Village and Parkland Regional Library, the Bentley Municipal Library continued to grow and improve its resources. In addition to this, local organizations, specifically the Royal Purple (1980), Bentley Kinsmen (1981) and Bentley Lions (1981) made donations.
When the Village Office moved to its new complex in 1981, the Library accompanied it and continued to operate from the Village Office. However, the Village had grown to the extent that it required the space occupied by the Library and the Library was in need of more space for its continually increasing collection. In 1991, the Village Council and the Library Board relocated the Library to the former Bentley Christian Centre Annex and with generous donations of monies, supplies and labour from the community, area residents and organizations, renovations were completed. The official opening of the Library's new facility took place on June 16, 1991.
Since 1991 the library has continued to change and grow! Through the years the library has hosted a variety of programs for the public and acquired new equipment and technology.
In 2008, the library staff, board and volunteers spent numerous hours painting and re-arranging furniture to give the library an updated look. The future for the Bentley Library looks bright!
The Bentley Municipal Library is truly the "Hub of the Community."
Recorded Librarians and Board Members
1980 - 81 - Librarian -Mary Wilton, Assistant - Pearl Boettger (Oct.), Chairperson - Louise Miller, Secretary - Mary Wilton, Treasurer - Florence Weisner, Member - Phyllis Wright, Member - Vic Wright.
1982 - Librarian - Mary Wilton, Assistant - Pearl Boettger, Chair - Florence Weisner, Secretary - Mary Wilton, Treasurer - Phyllis Wright, Public Relations - L. Miller, Member - Edith Summers, Member - Vic Wright.
1983 - Librarian - Mary Wilton, Assistant - Phyllis Wright, Chair - Vic Wright, Vice Chair - Lorene Witherell, Secretary - Mary Wilton, Treasurer - Claude Summers, Public Relations - C. Summers, Member - Edith Summers, Member - Willy Rietema.
1984 - Librarian - Mary Wilton, Assistant - Phyllis Wright, Chair - Vic Wright, Secretary - Mary Wilton, Treasurer - Claud Summers, Member - Edith Summers, Member - Willy Rietema.


1985 - Librarian - Mary Wilton, Assistant - Phyllis Wright, Chair -Vic Wright, Secretary - Judy North, Treasurer - Claude Summers, Member - Edith Summers, Member - Willy Rietema, Member - Lorene Witherell.
1986 - Librarian - Mary Wilton, Chair - Vic Wright, Secretary - Judy North, Treasurer - W. Rietema, Member - Jill Tonkin, Member - Norva Landry, Member - Irvine Suggett, Member - Lorene Witherell.
1987 - Librarian - Mary Wilton, Chair - Norva Landry, Vice Chair - Irvine Suggett, Secretary - Judy North,
Treasurer - Willy Rietema, Member - Leslie Garries, Member - Karen Park.
1988 - Librarian - Mary Wilton, Chair - Norva Landry, Vice Chair - Irvine Suggett, Secretary - Leslie Garries,
Treasurer - Herb Corbett, Councillor - George Capton, Member - Karen Park.
1989 - Librarian - Val Anderson, Chair - Lorna Landry, Secretary - Leslie Garries, Treasurer - Herb Corbett,
Councillor - Albert Smith, Member - Karen Park, Member - Lynn Brown.
1990 - Librarian - Val Anderson, Chair - Lorna Landry, Secretary - Leslie Garries, Treasurer - Herb Corbett, Member - Lynn Brown ,Councillor - Albert Smith.
1991 - Librarian - Val Anderson, Assistant - Grace Dawson, Chair - Leslie Garries, Secretary - Lynn Brown,
Treasurer - Lynn Brown, Councillor - L. Stevenson, Members - Lorna Landry, Karen Park,
and Arlene Walton
1992 - Librarian - Val Anderson, Assistant - Grace Dawson, Chair - Leslie Garries, Secretary - Lynn Brown,
Treasurer - Lynn Brown, Councillors - B. Knull, H. Eriksson, L. Petten, Member - Sharon Potuer, Member - Arlene Walton, Member - Karen Park.
1993 - Librarian - Val Anderson, Assistant - Grace Dawson, Chair - Leslie Garries, Secretary - Lynn Brown,
Treasurer - Lynn Brown, Councillors - L. Petten, Ed Langmuir, Members - Glenda Jackman, Arlene Walton
and Sharon Potuer.
1994 - Librarian - Val Anderson, Assistant - Grace Dawson (Nov. 94), Chair - Lynn Brown, Secretary - Arlene Walton, Treasurer - Glenda Jackman - Lynn Brown, Councillor - Ed Langmuir, Members - M. Beechinor,
Sharon Potuer and Anne Schow.
1995 - Librarian - Val Anderson, Assistant - Cheryl Ann Kuipers (Dec.94), Chair - Anne Schow, Secretary - Arlene Walton, Treasurer - M. Beechinor, Councillor - Len Landry, Members - Lorna Landry and Denise Reid.
1996 - Librarian - Val Anderson, Assistant - Cheryl Ann Kuipers, Chair-Anne Schow, Secretary M. Beechinor, Treasurer - Denise Reid, Councillor - Carrie Wilton, Members - Arlene Walton, Lorna Landry, and Kim Jones.
1997 - Librarian - Val Anderson, Assistant - Ronda Szasz, Chair - Anne Schow, Secretary - Lorna Landry,
Treasurer - Denise Reid, Councillor - Ed Langmuir & Betty Knull, Members - Marg Beddoes and Lorill Armstrong.
1998 - Librarian - Val Anderson, Assistant - Ronda Szasz (Feb. 99), Chair - Anne Schow, Secretary - Lorna Landry, Treasurer - L. Armstrong, Councillor - H. Eriksson, Members - Teena Cormack and Marg Beddoes.
1999 - Librarian - Val Anderson, Assistant - S. Hutchison (March 99), Chair - Marg Beddoes, Secretary - Teena Cormack, Treasurer - L. Armstrong, Councillor - Rick Park, Members - Maggie Maclean and Joan Ree.
2000 - Librarian - Val Anderson, Assistant - S. Hutchison, Chair - Maggie Maclean, Treasurer - Frank Lough, Secretary - Robin Lemay, Councillor - Rick Park, Members - Grace Rietema and Joan Ree.
2001 - Librarian - Val Anderson, Assistant - S. Hutchison, Chair - Frank Lough, Treasurer - M. Maclean,
Secretary - Robin Lemay, Councillor - Rick Park, Member - Grace Rietema and Laverne O'Neil.
2002 - Librarian - Val Anderson, Assistant - S. Hutchison, Chair - Frank Lough, Treasurer - A. Tanasiuk,
Secretary - Robin Lemay, Councillor - Robin Lemay, Members - Grace Rietema and Larissa Ince.
2003 - Librarian - Wystke Bertsch, Librarian - S. Hutchison (Left July 2003), Assistant - P. O'Gorman,
(as of August 2003) Librarian - Wystke Bertsch, Assistant - P. O'Gorman, Casual Librarians - Jacquie Huehn (July 2003), Wystke Bertsch, Jana Patton, Diane Holdstock & Sandy Hutchison, Chair - Maggie MacLean, Treasurer - A. Tanasiuk, Secretary - Pearl O'Gorman/Grace Rietema, Councillor - Robin Lemay, Members - B. Valiquette and Kim McGhee.
2004 - Librarian - Wystke Bertsch (Left March 2004), Librarian/Assistant/Admin - Pearl O'Gorman as of April 2004, Casual Librarians - Jana Patton, Donna Donaldson (left for Red Deer in August 04)
Chair - Maggie MacLean until November then Brenda Valiquette, Co-Chair - B. Valiquette, Treasurer - A. Tanasiuk, Secretary - P. O'Gorman, Councillor - Robin Lemay, Members - Diana Hoffman and
Kim McGhee - left board as of Nov. 2004.
2005 - Librarian- P. O'Gorman, Library Staff - T. Tesluk , Chair -Brenda Valiquette, Treasurer A.
Tanasiuk, Secretary - P. O'Gorman, Councillor - Robin Lemay until Nov. then Ed Watson, Co-Chair
Diana Hoffman, Member - M. MacLean, New Member - Michelle Ostrikoff - Nov. 05.
2006 - 2007 - Librarian- P. O'Gorman, Library Staff - T. Tesluk, Casual - Jana Patton & Janie
VanderLann, Chair -Brenda Valiquette, Treasurer - A. Tanasiuk, Secretary - P.O'Gorman, Councillor -
Ed Watson then Pam Hansen , Co- Chair - Diana Hoffman then M. Ostrikoff, Member - M. Maclean,
New Member - Mark Vander Laan and Tracey Valiquette.
2007-2008 - Library Manager - Tina Whitfield,Library Staff - Jana-Lee Patton, Jo-Anne Kinley, Vera Boettger, Chair - Michelle Ostrikoff, Treasurer- A. Tanasiuk, Secretary- Tina Whitfield, Councillor - Sandra Smyth, Co-Chair - Mark Vander Laan, Member- Edna Woltjer.
2008- 2009 - Library Manager - Tina Whitfield, Library Staff - Jo-Anne Kinley, Vera Boettger,
Chair -Michelle Ostrikoff, Treasurer - Sandra Smyth, Secretary - Tina Whitfield, Town Rep - Sandra Smyth, Co-chair - Mark Vander Laan, Member - Edna Woltjer, New members - Nikki Doll, Leanne Vig.