WATERVILLE – A century ago, the Waterville Library opened in a small but growing village on the banks of the Maumee River. Located in the “new” Waterville School – razed in 2017 and now Parker Square – the library could be found up a short flight of steps from the ground floor.
“Those steps seemed huge,” recalled Karen Wiggins, a retired Waterville Library branch manager who remembers walking up those steps as a child. “It was both the public and the school library…but it was pretty small. Now it’s one of the top circulation branches in the whole system. The community uses it a lot.”
The community is invited to celebrate the library’s 100th anniversary on Saturday, June 6 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 800 Michigan Ave.
The 1926 founding of the Waterville Library is mentioned in a 2001 history of the Toledo-Lucas County Public Library by David M. Noel. According to his research, within a year of opening, the Waterville Chamber of Commerce appealed to the county school board for a separate building, but it wasn’t until 1964 that the 2,600-square-foot branch on Michigan Avenue was completed.
In the 1970s, a 5,000-square-foot addition was completed to the east of the building and, in 2005, renovations made space for meetings and story hours – including a built-in puppet theater and Carruth Studios pieces inset into the walls.
Mary Rava Miller, who is now the Main children’s library manager, remembers the excitement when the Bluebird passenger train would roll by on the tracks next to the library.
“We’d pause because every child would run to the window. When working with children, librarians have to be flexible,” said Rava Miller, who worked with Jo Kehoe to launch the Babytime program at the branch. “We had lots of babies and families. Librarians are a good role model for reading books to children.”
When Kehoe retired after 39 years of working with children, Patti Lusher took the helm, and for 18 years has organized programs both on-site and in the schools and community. One of her favorite programs has been “Sit. Stay. Read.” – in which children read to pups from Therapy Dogs International.
“Parents loved it. Kids loved it. I loved it,” Lusher said. “If kids start loving books because they come to a story time, it doesn’t matter who helps them. The important thing is that they love to read and to go to the library. It’s fun to help kids get into something they’re interested in.”
Over the years, Lusher has expanded the branch’s homeschool program, with its own book club and STEM time. She also works with librarian John Cook, who runs a popular chess league.
Carlye Seybold, who now works at the Main Library, often helped Lusher with children’s programs, and she laughs at recalling teen librarian Adrienne Amborski‘s program based on the popular Fear Factor. Amborski put together odd concoctions of food, including a fried worm, for kids to try.
“Kids love the weird,” Seybold said. “And they would come out in full force.”
Adapting programs for children and teens has been a focal point for many of the librarians, with themes based on Lemony Snicket, Harry Potter and other popular books. Wacky Olympics and crafts like tie-dying and making suncatchers are also big draws. Teens always come out in full force to volunteer during the Summer Reading Club, which draws over 1,000 participates a year.
During the pandemic, Seybold worked on an online program modeled after Animal Crossing, in which players were invited to visit Library Island.
“We’re lucky to work in an organization that gives us ideas for programs but gives us room to move too,” Seybold said.
Waterville has always been known as a family-oriented branch, said Emily Fountain, who was a circulation clerk at the branch before moving to Main in 2021. She was known as the sticker lady for giving fun stickers to children.
“It’s nice to learn about the families and the community. I loved engaging with people at the circulation desk,” Fountain said.
When Wiggins was manager, she launched Bookenders, a daytime book club, and Book Chat, in which members share their latest reads. These provided an alternative to the evening book club that Amborski launched in 2005.
“I love the adult book club. Many of us have become friends. And we still have some of the original members,” said Amborski, who has since launched a Cookbook Club that features members scouring the variety of cookbooks available in the library and making foods to share and compare.
All of the librarians point to the community for their support, and the library’s success.
“We have an avid clientele of readers here. That’s why Waterville is such a gem,” Amborski said. “We have a blend of technical services and traditional library services – programming and connecting readers to the right author.”
While the Waterville Branch is among the smallest physically, it’s among the busiest, with 86,524 visitors in 2024. The juvenile section is the most-used section – with young readers growing into adult patrons over the years, said manager Will Harbauer. The Waterville branch has an extensive collection on site, access to materials throughout the system, and free options through Hoopla, Libby and Audible, he added.
The library receives 40 percent of its funding from the state and 60 percent of funding from property taxes or levies. Harbauer points to a return on investment report showing that for every $1.00 invested in the library, the community gets $6.73 in return.
The report shows that the library is successful in boosting early literacy and kindergarten readiness and helps adults with workforce development, digital access and entrepreneurial support. The library provides access to local services, like the Maumee Senior Center programs for seniors, and those are show to reduce social isolation and improve public health.
When community members flock to the Anthony Wayne Area Arts Commission‘s Eats & Beats Food Truck Tuesdays each summer, or attend a public meeting, they discover a space that is open and bright, with a community glass mural depicting a tree swing, waterfall, train and castle – a scene that captures the essence of the adventures that await inside the books.
Patrons also come to find that the library staff is there to listen, advise and encourage growth.
That’s a trend that started with the first manager, Lois Waffle, who served for 53 years, starting as a page while still in high school.
“The library was her life from a young age. I’ve heard many stories and know that she was quite a character who had no qualms speaking her mind,” Amborski said of Waffle, who was followed by Cam Brady, Wiggins and Harbauer as managers.
A portrait of Waffle hangs in the library. Amborski calls it the Scooby-Do portrait.
“Everyone would say that her eyes move with you,” Rava Miller laughed.
Stop by the library during regular hours to lay eyes on Waffle’s portrait, check out a book or say hello to the staff. And join the fun on Saturday, June 6 from 11a.m. to 3 p.m. for a celebration that includes members of the Anthony Wayne Marching Generals, Metroparks Toledo’s rock climbing wall, food trucks, crafts, games, a food truck and organizations including the Anthony Wayne Area Arts Commission, Waterville Historical Society and the police and fire departments.
