October 1869---"Cleveland First Baptist reports a library of 62 volumes. "This is from the report given at the Second Annual Session of the Ocoee Baptist Association. FBC was only 3 years old, a membership of thirteen strong in 1857. The next library records found dated 1902. When the new sanctuary was completed in 1918, the library was adjacent to the rear door of the baptistry and often served as a make-shift dressing room. Many different locations were used in the following years due to the need for office space, better traffic flow, or better lighting. The extensive remodel of FBC in 1993 gave us our present location directly behind the sanctuary.
Business continued as it had for decades with card catalogs in wooden drawers, book pockets, and borrowers' cards that required a signiture. Hand-written accession ledgers contained the names of every book added to the collection. Business as usual was about to change in 1994 when Cindy Goodson found a conputer being sold by a preacher at a yard sale. It was purchased and loaded with DOS Library software in 1995.
New procedures were on the way as volunteers began moving card catalog information on all books into the computer. Within 2 years, the DOS system became a Windows operating database. The software from BookSystems had upgrades each year. One update enabled all card catalog information to be imported to our files from the internet. Tedious tasks that were time consuming like typing and filing cards in the card catalog became unnecessary since information was available as soon as you typed on your keyboard. Overdue books were listed on a report in a matter of seconds and letters to those patrons were computer generated. These changes gave gradual increases in circulation. 1999 was another benchmark in the history of the library when the 15 volunteers took on another massive project of attaching 12,000 bar codes to all books. This allowed check-out to be done with a scanner.
In addition to technology, reading program promotions have given incentives for patrons to check out extra materials. 200 adults enroll in out winter program. 400 children participate in our summer campaign. The purpose of this is to encourage them in Romans 12:2 "Be not conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind."
Additional staffing was a necessary part in these improvements. A librarian began receiving salary for a part-time postition in 1996. Those hours continued to increase as circulation climed---from 1,800 books circulated annually in 1996 to over 27,000 in 2009! "God gives the increase" 1 Corinthians 3:7b. Our First Baptist Library has expanded into a resource ministry for the community. People visit us from over 60 different congragations. Families know they can find materials that will bring them closer to Jesus. Parents know they don't have to preview books before their children read them because they will find nothing objectionable in our materials.
Our library is also a cheerful place of fellowship...where we share your praises and your prayer needs. When you care to visit us, we care for you.
Thanks you for helping us celebrate out rich heritage. Read with us in the future as we continue to write a history of God's work through HIS people in our FBC library.
1902: Loyd Cate
1928: Miss Mary Cochran
1937: J. B. White
1942-45: Mrs. Joe White
1947-55 Miss Jo Ann Brown
1956: Mrs. Ernest Neal
1957: Mrs. J.H. Dockery
1958-63: Inactive
1964-66: Mrs. P. B. Lay
1967-75: Mrs. Gladys Rymer
1975-91: Mrs. Evelyn Townsend
1991-97: Mrs. Jerry Self
1997-Present: Mrs. Lynda Harrington
