At the Bovina Library

A brief post written on the computer at the Bovina Public Library, where librarian Marjorie Miller and I have been discussing the topic for my next historian's talk at the library. Crimes/law and order and 19th Century medicine are two possibilities, but I have to do some homework first.

Bovina's library is located in what was the last schoolhouse built and to close in Bovina. The district 4 schoolhouse, located on Maple Avenue in the hamlet of Bovina Center, was built around 1893 because the building currently in use was too small. Technically, it's a two room schoolhouse. It included grades 1-8 but as the size of Bovina's population fell, they started sending children to the larger schools in Andes, Delhi or South Kortright at a younger age. When the school closed in June 1961, there were 4 grades - 1-4 (and only one of the two rooms was in use by then). My sisters both got to go, but I just missed out, since I didn't start school until the fall of 1961. The building sat vacant for a few years until around 1971 the Bovina Library was moved into the building. Bovina has a great library, especially for a town of its size. The librarian just noted as I was writing this blog that they get almost 300 unique visitors a month. So if you live in Bovina, use it. If not, at least drop in and say hello to Marjorie.